Presenter: Prof. Joan W. Bennett

University: Rutgers University, USA

Time: 13:30-14:00, October 22, 2011

Venue: A102, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Introduction: Prof. Joan W. Bennett is a NAS member, Mycologist at Department of Plant Biology & Pathology, Rutgers University. The Bennett lab studies molds, in particular the genetics of mycotoxin production in the genus Aspergillus. Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by filamentous fungi that are capable of causing disease and death in humans and other animals. Because of their pharmacological activity, some mycotoxins or mycotoxin derivatives have found use as antibiotics, growth promotants, and other kinds of pharmaceuticals. In collaboration with scientists at the Southern Regional Research Laboratory, a branch of the U. S. Department of Agriculture in New Orleans, Louisiana, the Bennett laboratory has pioneered research on the genetics and biosynthesis of aflatoxin. This research has provided a useful model for other polyketide secondary metabolites and opens the possibilities for reducing these poisons in foods and the environment. Dr. Bennett also has been involved in genome projects for Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus and A. oryzae. In the aftermath of flooding associated with Hurricane Katrina, and the widespread mold infestations that followed in the American Gulf South, the Bennett laboratory is initiating new studies on potential health problems associated with "indoor" molds.