Periodic Reporting for period 1 - FunShield4Med (Shielding food safety and security by enabling the foresight of fungal spoilage and mycotoxins threats in the Mediterranean region under climate change conditions)
Reporting period: 2022-12-01 to 2025-11-30
FunShield4Med project aimed at bolstering the scientific excellence and innovation capacity of ELGO-DIMITRA’s Institute of Technology of Agricultural Products (ITAP). The project focused on food safety against mycotoxigenic spoilage fungi and mycotoxins under climate change challenges, while included a comprehensive research project focusing on mycotoxigenic spoilage fungi and mycotoxins in relation to one main EU entry point for imports (Greece) from the South and East (African and Asian countries). ELGO-ITAP is the widening country participant and coordinator, while advanced partners are from Italy (University of Parma), Spain (University of Lleida), UK (Cranfield University), and from Greece (National Kapodistrian University of Athens).
To achieve the overall stepping-up of ELGO-ITAP we had 5 specific objectives (SO) directly responding to Twinning’s expected outcomes:
SO1: To level-up research and scientific cooperation of participants under EU funded projects.
SO2: To increase knowledge, expertise, and skills of ELGO-ITAP research staff in the field of spoilage mycotoxigenic fungi and mycotoxins prevalence.
SO3: To develop educational/training activities for academia and industry.
SO4: To level-up ELGO-ITAP administrative and financial staff’s skills on attracting and managing internationally funded projects.
SO5: To raise public and scientific awareness by providing effective dissemination and exploitation of project’s outcomes.
To achieve the overall stepping-up of ELGO-ITAP we had 5 specific objectives (SO) directly responding to Twinning’s expected outcomes:
SO1: To level-up research and scientific cooperation of participants under EU funded projects.
SO2: To increase knowledge, expertise, and skills of ELGO-ITAP research staff in the field of spoilage mycotoxigenic fungi and mycotoxins prevalence.
SO3: To develop educational/training activities for academia and industry.
SO4: To level-up ELGO-ITAP administrative and financial staff’s skills on attracting and managing internationally funded projects.
SO5: To raise public and scientific awareness by providing effective dissemination and exploitation of project’s outcomes.
WP1 “Project management and dissemination plan” included plans for dissemination of results, data management, ethics, and gender equality plan. DMP includes the presentation of OA repositories (GitHub, Zenodo, FunShield4Med website) where all data-sets from our Joint Research Project (JRP) and educational material were deposited.
WP2 “Enhancing scientific knowledge on analytical and computational mycotoxicology” aimed to transfer knowledge in state-of-the-art methods for the identification of mycotoxins and computation toxicology. FunShield4Med have fulfilled 2 Seminars, 2 Workshops (WS) and 5 Short-Term Staff Exchanges (STSEs) under this WP. Moreover, evaluation of mycotoxins prevalence in food products and imports was assessed under JRP, with more than 500 commercial food and feed samples. 3 e-tutorials were released publicly through Zenodo platform, FunShield4Med website and YouTube channel.
WP3 “Enhancing scientific knowledge on fungal molecular ecology and ecophysiology” focused on transferring knowledge in ecophysiology and molecular ecology and on the impact of climate change on food security related to mycotoxins.Training accounted the realization of 2 Seminars, 2 WS, and 5 STSEs for ELGO-ITAP researchers to CU and 2 to UdL. 3 Decision Support Systems (DSS) were delivered also freely accessible through our OA repositories.
WP4 “Enhancement of mobility and scientific potential of young scientists” was set to unlock scientific potential of ECRs and ESRs by facilitating their increased mobility and learning of novel skills, techniques, and knowledge. During project's lifetime the training of researchers of the ELGO-ITAP included the realization of 2 Summer Schools (SS) and the participation in the organization of 3 International Conferences.
WP5 “Upgrading R&I management and administration skills of ELGO-ITAP under international funding environment” set the measures used to improve competitiveness of researchers of the ELGO-ITAP in future Horizon calls and other international calls. The training activities of WP5 were completed including the Seminar 5 and 2 STSEs to NKUA of ELGO-ITAP personnel. In addition, ELGO-ITAP has already achieved considerable fundraising under international calls, accounting an HE WIDERA “Excellence Hubs” action (EXCEL4MED-GA101087147) and a PRIMA Section 2-Multi-topics 2023 action (NOVISHPAK) both with the participation of NKUA, 2 funded under HORIZON-CL6-2024-FARM2FORK-01, (AMBROSIA-GA101181300 with CU & MyMatch-GA101181208 between CU and UNIPR).
Finally, WP6 “Communication, dissemination, exploitation” managed the design, implementation, and maintenance of project’s website (funshield4med.eu) the production of promotional material, and the organization of outreach activities, targeting specific and public audiences. During implementation period FunShield4Med has been updated regularly with its events, news, actions etc., promotional material for the project and for the ELGO-ITAP and 5 newsletters, MyMedHub establishment dedicated to mycotoxins training, services provision to stakeholders and acting as a hub for scientific collaboration, 12 International conferences with 12 oral & 11 poster presentations, organized 1 Round Table and 2 Satellite sessions, has 9 research articles published, 2 under revision, and over 5 under preparation, supported university students by completing 1 PhD, 6 MSc, and 7 BSc theses, and many more.
WP2 “Enhancing scientific knowledge on analytical and computational mycotoxicology” aimed to transfer knowledge in state-of-the-art methods for the identification of mycotoxins and computation toxicology. FunShield4Med have fulfilled 2 Seminars, 2 Workshops (WS) and 5 Short-Term Staff Exchanges (STSEs) under this WP. Moreover, evaluation of mycotoxins prevalence in food products and imports was assessed under JRP, with more than 500 commercial food and feed samples. 3 e-tutorials were released publicly through Zenodo platform, FunShield4Med website and YouTube channel.
WP3 “Enhancing scientific knowledge on fungal molecular ecology and ecophysiology” focused on transferring knowledge in ecophysiology and molecular ecology and on the impact of climate change on food security related to mycotoxins.Training accounted the realization of 2 Seminars, 2 WS, and 5 STSEs for ELGO-ITAP researchers to CU and 2 to UdL. 3 Decision Support Systems (DSS) were delivered also freely accessible through our OA repositories.
WP4 “Enhancement of mobility and scientific potential of young scientists” was set to unlock scientific potential of ECRs and ESRs by facilitating their increased mobility and learning of novel skills, techniques, and knowledge. During project's lifetime the training of researchers of the ELGO-ITAP included the realization of 2 Summer Schools (SS) and the participation in the organization of 3 International Conferences.
WP5 “Upgrading R&I management and administration skills of ELGO-ITAP under international funding environment” set the measures used to improve competitiveness of researchers of the ELGO-ITAP in future Horizon calls and other international calls. The training activities of WP5 were completed including the Seminar 5 and 2 STSEs to NKUA of ELGO-ITAP personnel. In addition, ELGO-ITAP has already achieved considerable fundraising under international calls, accounting an HE WIDERA “Excellence Hubs” action (EXCEL4MED-GA101087147) and a PRIMA Section 2-Multi-topics 2023 action (NOVISHPAK) both with the participation of NKUA, 2 funded under HORIZON-CL6-2024-FARM2FORK-01, (AMBROSIA-GA101181300 with CU & MyMatch-GA101181208 between CU and UNIPR).
Finally, WP6 “Communication, dissemination, exploitation” managed the design, implementation, and maintenance of project’s website (funshield4med.eu) the production of promotional material, and the organization of outreach activities, targeting specific and public audiences. During implementation period FunShield4Med has been updated regularly with its events, news, actions etc., promotional material for the project and for the ELGO-ITAP and 5 newsletters, MyMedHub establishment dedicated to mycotoxins training, services provision to stakeholders and acting as a hub for scientific collaboration, 12 International conferences with 12 oral & 11 poster presentations, organized 1 Round Table and 2 Satellite sessions, has 9 research articles published, 2 under revision, and over 5 under preparation, supported university students by completing 1 PhD, 6 MSc, and 7 BSc theses, and many more.
The scientific impact is stressed from the creation of high-quality new knowledge in identification of emerging mycotoxins, the exploration of their multi-detection, the foresight of expected climate change impact on mycotoxigenic fungi, and the development of prevention strategies to eliminate contamination. From a technological point of view is further securing food production by strengthening an effective control of EU imports at Greek customs, increasing the profit of the regional Agrifood sector and the consumers’ confidence, and creating potential for more and better jobs in Agrifood. Societal impact includes overcoming the current limitations in climate change knowledge and food safety, and the valorisation of the scientific outcomes strengthening the R&I uptake in society. FunShield4Med concluded its implementation period with a series of important results with exceptional potential for further exploitation:
- Over 500 samples from remarkable Mediterranean products (iconic, PDO) analyzed with results uploaded to OA repositories for further exploitation,
- 9 published, 2 under revision, and more than 5 under preparation research articles to Golden OA peer-reviewed journals,
- Over 50 presentations and e-tutorials for educational purposes released through OA repositories,
- State-of-the-art methodologies, for multi-toxin and emerging mycotoxins detection, transferred from advanced partners to Greece,
- Important technologies raised through on mitigation measures for mycotoxins presence, e.g. the HSI-NIR method for discrimination of contaminated cereal seeds on processing sites, and the 3 DSS based on algorithms for the prediction of toxigenic fungi and mycotoxin production in food.
- The MyMedHub establishment for the support of relevant to mycotoxins training, services provision to interested stakeholders, and to serve as a scientific hub for international fundraising.
- Over 500 samples from remarkable Mediterranean products (iconic, PDO) analyzed with results uploaded to OA repositories for further exploitation,
- 9 published, 2 under revision, and more than 5 under preparation research articles to Golden OA peer-reviewed journals,
- Over 50 presentations and e-tutorials for educational purposes released through OA repositories,
- State-of-the-art methodologies, for multi-toxin and emerging mycotoxins detection, transferred from advanced partners to Greece,
- Important technologies raised through on mitigation measures for mycotoxins presence, e.g. the HSI-NIR method for discrimination of contaminated cereal seeds on processing sites, and the 3 DSS based on algorithms for the prediction of toxigenic fungi and mycotoxin production in food.
- The MyMedHub establishment for the support of relevant to mycotoxins training, services provision to interested stakeholders, and to serve as a scientific hub for international fundraising.