The Fungus Among Us: Fusarium Mycotoxins in Water and Food

• Professor Daniel Snow, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Nebraska Water Center
• Sponsored by the ACS California Section
• Noon-1pm, Online via Zoom, Free, Registration required

Abstract: Professor Daniel Snow investigates the measurement and surprising occurrence of Fusarium mycotoxins in our food and water. Fusarium is a large group of filamentous fungi widely distributed in soil and plants. Most are harmless, but some produce metabolites that are biologically active and even toxic. Fusarium fungi are ubiquitous in soil and plants, and toxin production is prevalent in corn and cereal grains. Fusarium mycotoxins including trichothecenes, zearalenone and fumonisins, are generally produced during crop growth and storage. These water soluble, low molecular weight organic compounds are surprisingly stable, and are often passed from contaminated crops to animals and humans. They occur annually in crops, soil and water supplies. Individual compounds such as zearalenone are metabolized into several derivatives each with different toxic and biological effects. Because they are water soluble, and occur in complex matrices, analytical methods must overcome a number of challenges for detection at environmentally relevant concentrations. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A.

Speaker Bio: Snow has been an integral part of the UNL Water Sciences Laboratory (WSL) since 1990. At present, he oversees all aspects of the WSL operations and uses analytical chemistry to help understand how water becomes contaminated and what we can do to prevent it. A good part of his work at the WSL involves creating analytical methods for new or “emerging” environmental contaminants including compounds such as steroids, pharmaceuticals, algal toxins, explosives, and pesticides. Snow is also directly involved in the development of new methods to measure and use stable isotopes as tracers to study environmental problems and processes.

Mass spectrometry is an incredibly powerful tool to use in studying the occurrence and environmental fate of chemicals, and their potential for affecting organisms and people. Students and staff under Dr. Snow’s supervision use mass spectrometers to help other scientists and engineers find out exactly what chemicals are in water and other materials. For example, he collaborates with biologists – studying endocrine disruption in fish in Nebraska rivers – to find out what kinds and concentrations of steroid hormones and pesticides may be associated with these effects. Snow also collaborates with with scientists and engineers to find out what kinds and concentrations of steroid hormones and pharmaceuticals may be found in livestock and municipal waste, and whether or not these chemicals can get into water.

Snow also advises and mentors a growing number of undergraduate and graduate students at the WSL.

Speaker bio information is reprinted from https://watercenter.unl.edu/daniel-d-snow-phd