BIOTEC’s project titled “Developing decision support tool(s) for mitigating mycotoxins risks caused by climate change” is funded by Global Challenges Research Fund Networking Grants, UK

The funded project is led by Prof. Dr. Nitsara Karoonuthaisiri, founding co-director of International Joint Research Center on Food Security and Prof. Chris Elliott OBE, Professor of Food Security and the founder of the Institute for Global Food Security, Queen’s University Belfast, UK.

Climate change poses significant threats to the sustainability of food production, with one of the major concerns being the proliferation of emerging contaminants throughout the food chain. Among these contaminants, mycotoxins produced by fungi are a particularly serious and deadly group that can cause economic and public health damage. This project aims to foster new cross-border and interdisciplinary partnerships by utilizing the resources of multiple existing consortia. The goal is to engage and motivate future generations from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in the ASEAN region on the topic of mycotoxins. To ensure maximum impact, relevant stakeholders will also be included. This effort will draw on the expertise of EU-funded FoodSAFER and UK-Ireland Mycotox-I (which assesses and mitigates mycotoxin exposure risks from field to fork), as well as the International Joint Research Center on Food Security (IJC-FOODSEC), a trilateral collaboration between Queen’s University Belfast-QUB, Thammasat University-TU, and the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology-BIOTEC.

The project will disseminate practical solutions for various aspects of mycotoxin-related issues, including measurement, exposure effects on human and animal health, and mitigation strategies. To achieve this goal, a workshop will be organized for selected participants, consisting of stakeholders such as academics, industries, and regulatory agencies from Europe and Asia. The team also plans to explore ways to identify funds that can support the regional-level plan to be developed as a result of the workshop.

The workshop will take place at the IJC-FOODSEC, which is situated in the Thailand Science Park, the first science, technology, and innovation hub of the country.