Exploitation of Fungi for Improved Food Quality

Fungi have impacted on human societies for millennia due to both their beneficial but also detrimental properties. Several fungi have been domesticated to serve human needs. These include the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is used in beer and wine production or in bakery products, and the filamentous fungi Aspergillus oryzae, Penicillium roqueforti and Penicilium camemberti which are used in food production in Asian cuisine and mould-ripened blue and white cheeses, respectively. Additionally, fungi have been used as biological control agents of pests, and several species have been exploited for the production of valuable secondary metabolites including penicillin and statins. However, phytopathogenic fungi cause severe crop losses and can be accompanied by mycotoxin production, posing a major threat to global food security.
The present project has the overall theme of exploiting knowledge of fungal biology and metabolism to improve food quality and security, with subsequent applications in biotechnology. This project specifically aims to make breakthroughs in strain development for the white-cheese mould P. camemberti, and to understand how fungal metabolism impacts on flavour and nutritional aspects of food production. The study organisms are P. camemberti and its wild relative P. commune used in the production of mould-ripened cheeses such as Brie and Camembert, as well as other food products. The fungus is important for imparting flavour and texture (due to enzyme action) and also appearance.
The PhD will offer training in classical microbiology procedures, biochemical experimentation, bioinformatic/genomic and molecular-genetic experimental work, and associated statistical data analysis and computing skills. There will also be a possibility of an industrial placement at a University start-up company 'Myconeos.com', who have interests allied to the project.