Fungi are among the most potent food spoilers, causing considerable food losses. Generally, these fungi are stress resistant, allowing them to survive food preservation measures. The aims of this project are to identify the causes of this stress resistance, and to find ways counteract it.
The model organisms are Penicillium roqueforti, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Paecilomyces variotii, and Aspergillus niger.
The project leader is Han Wösten. The project is a collaboration of Utrecht University, the Westerdijk Institute, Leiden University, and Wageningen University. It is funded by a grant from TIFN. The Fungal Genomics group is involved with genome sequencing and analysis.
Figure. Spores (conidia) of Penicillium roqueforti (Punt et al., 2020)