It is to be funded for two years by the Working Community of the Pyrenees (CTP) and involves French partners the Universit\u00e9 de Perpignan and the Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse, the Basque country’s Centro de Tecnolog\u00edas Electroqu\u00edmicas (CIDETEC) and the Catalan Institute of Agriculture and Food Research and Technology (IRTA), as well as several industry partners. <\/p>\n
Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a common mycotoxin which contaminates a wide range of animal and plant products \u2013 including cereals, coffee, cocoa, nuts and vines \u2013 during storage. Studies show that the absorption of OTA in the gastrointestinal tract causes acute and chronic lesions of the kidneys and liver, and in humans its presence has been associated with an increased incidence of tumours in the upper urinary tract, leading to its classification as a possible carcinogen. <\/p>\n
The techniques currently used to detect OTA are expensive and inefficient, and the partners will be using new technology based on nanomolecules called aptamers to develop a range of innovative, safe and sensitive detection tools. Besides coordinating the project, the IBEC Nanobioengineering group will design and optimize bioassays and biosensors based on these innovative sensing components to allow greater sensitivity and specificity in detecting mycotoxins, as well as being simple to use. <\/p>\n