Project description
Increasing the legume sector’s resilience to the mycotoxins risk
Mycotoxins, natural toxins in food resulting from inadequate storage or drying, can lead to various health issues. The MSCA-funded MYCOBEANS project seeks to enhance collaboration and excellence among academic and non-academic institutions. Focusing on the emerging risk of mycotoxins in legumes used as alternative plant proteins, the project aims to bolster the resilience of the beans and legumes sector. Through a high-calibre partnership, MYCOBEANS aims to innovate in mycotoxin diagnostics, toxicological evaluation, and biotechnological mitigation across the entire plant protein supply chain. The consortium will facilitate knowledge transfer, foster research alliances, and enhance the capacities of staff and young researchers.
Objective
The overall aim of the MYCOBEANS project is to strengthen the collaboration and promote the excellence of the academic and non-academic institutions involved with the common goal of exploring the emerging risk due to the occurrence of mycotoxins in legumes intended as alternative plant proteins, and therefore increase the resilience of the beans and legumes sector. Thanks to its top-class partnership, MYCOBEANS will bring innovation in mycotoxins diagnostics, toxicological evaluation, and biotechnological mitigation along the entire plant protein supply chain.
The consortium, led by the University of Parma, Italy, involves internationally-leading academic and non-academic partners from the EU, UK and ASEAN countries, and has been designed around the already existing network of the International Joint Research Center on Food Security, Thailand. The strong connectivity already in place among partners will ensure the knowledge and expertise transfer, help build new research alliances, and enrich staff and young researchers' capacities from all members of the consortium. Young researchers will be exposed to a very diverse and multidisciplinary environment, thus ensuring a quick professional growth.
The specific objectives will be achieved through an extensive program of interdisciplinary and intersectoral short- and medium-term staff exchanges and expert visits, involving doctoral and postdoctoral researchers as well as senior staff, aimed at cross-pollination among scientific disciplines, from chemistry to toxicology, biotechnology, industrial processing as well as regulatory science. As a complement, a rich program of training workshops, seminars, summer schools and dissemination and outreach activities will ensure a significant impact both at a professional career level as well as for industry and society.
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-SE - HORIZON TMA MSCA Staff ExchangesCoordinator
43121 PARMA
Italy