Cornfield with glowing DNA strands and electronic probe.

Decoding Aflatoxin: How New Tech Can Spot Dangerous Fungi Faster

Reese Marlowe in Science & Nature December 2025 • 4 min read.

"Cutting-edge RNA sequencing and e-probes are changing how we detect aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus flavus, safeguarding our food supply"

Imagine biting into your favorite snack, unaware that it's been contaminated by a potent toxin produced by a sneaky fungus. That's the reality for many crops, including maize, peanuts, and spices, which can be infected by Aspergillus flavus. This fungus produces aflatoxins, a group of toxic compounds, with aflatoxin B₁ being particularly nasty due to its carcinogenic properties. Keeping our food safe from these toxins is a major challenge for food biosecurity.

Traditional methods for detecting aflatoxins, like chromatography and immunoassays, have their limitations, especially when it comes to speed and cost. Aflatoxin regulations are strict worldwide, making it crucial to have rapid and accurate testing methods to prevent contaminated products from reaching consumers. This is where innovative technology comes in.

Now, researchers are exploring a new approach: using RNA sequencing and electronic probes (EDNAtran) to quickly detect the presence of aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus flavus strains. This method focuses on identifying specific gene activity related to aflatoxin production, offering a faster and potentially cheaper way to screen crops for contamination.

Unlocking the Power of EDNAtran: A New Tool for Aflatoxin Detection

Cornfield with glowing DNA strands and electronic probe.

E-probe Diagnostic for Nucleic acid Analysis (EDNA) has been around for a while, originally designed to spot plant pathogens by digging through metagenomic databases. Now, with a few upgrades, EDNA can do much more. EDNA transcriptomics (EDNAtran) can detect very specific gene targets in transcriptomic databases. Think of it like a super-powered search engine specifically designed to find signs of trouble in a plant's genetic material. Scientists can develop e-probes to target specific pathogenicity factors, which are transcripts related to that function.

The core idea is simple: create electronic probes (e-probes) that target genes that ramp up their activity during aflatoxin production. By tracking these specific genes, scientists can quickly determine if the fungus is actively producing the toxin. In this study, scientists designed e-probes from genes that were highly active during aflatoxin production in A. flavus. They then used EDNAtran to see if these e-probes could detect gene transcripts related to aflatoxin production in corn samples.

Here's a breakdown of how EDNAtran works:

E-probe Design: Create unique e-probes that match specific gene sequences involved in aflatoxin production.
RNA Sequencing: Extract RNA from the sample and sequence it to identify active genes.
EDNAtran Analysis: Use EDNAtran to search the RNA sequence data for the presence of the e-probes.
Detection: If the e-probes are found, it indicates that the aflatoxin-related genes are active, suggesting the presence of aflatoxin-producing fungi.

The results were promising. EDNAtran successfully detected gene transcripts related to aflatoxin production in corn samples known to be contaminated with aflatoxin. This was a clear signal that the method works. In contrast, when the e-probes were used on samples where aflatoxin was not produced, the results were significantly different. This confirms that EDNAtran can accurately distinguish between samples with and without aflatoxin production.

A Safer Future for Our Food Supply

EDNAtran offers a new, rapid, and potentially cost-effective way to screen crops for aflatoxin contamination. By focusing on gene activity, this method can quickly identify the presence of aflatoxin-producing fungi, helping to prevent contaminated food from reaching consumers. As sequencing technology continues to advance and become more affordable, EDNAtran could become a standard tool for ensuring food safety worldwide. Imagine a world where we can quickly and accurately detect these toxins, protecting our health and securing our food supply for everyone.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198575, Alternate LINK

Title: Inferring The Presence Of Aflatoxin-Producing Aspergillus Flavus Strains Using Rna Sequencing And Electronic Probes As A Transcriptomic Screening Tool

Subject: Multidisciplinary

Journal: PLOS ONE

Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)

Authors: Andres S. Espindola, William Schneider, Kitty F. Cardwell, Yisel Carrillo, Peter R. Hoyt, Stephen M. Marek, Hassan A. Melouk, Carla D. Garzon

Published: 2018-10-16

Everything You Need To Know

What are aflatoxins and why are they a concern?

Aflatoxins are a group of toxic compounds produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus, with aflatoxin B₁ being particularly dangerous due to its carcinogenic properties. These toxins contaminate various crops like maize, peanuts, and spices. Exposure to aflatoxins poses a significant health risk, emphasizing the importance of detecting and preventing their presence in the food supply.

What is Aspergillus flavus and why is it important?

Aspergillus flavus is a fungus that produces aflatoxins, which are toxic compounds that can contaminate crops. Its significance lies in its ability to cause severe health issues. Identifying the presence of Aspergillus flavus is crucial for food safety because it directly indicates the potential for aflatoxin contamination, necessitating rapid and accurate testing methods to prevent contaminated products from reaching consumers. It's a key concern for food biosecurity.

What is EDNAtran and why is it significant?

EDNAtran is a new diagnostic tool that utilizes electronic probes (e-probes) to detect specific gene activity related to aflatoxin production in Aspergillus flavus. The process involves designing e-probes that target genes active during aflatoxin production, sequencing RNA from a sample, and using EDNAtran to analyze the RNA sequence data. The presence of e-probes indicates the activity of aflatoxin-related genes, signifying the presence of aflatoxin-producing fungi. This technology is significant as it offers a faster, more efficient, and potentially cost-effective method for screening crops, thereby enhancing food safety.

What are e-probes and how are they used?

E-probes are electronic probes designed to match specific gene sequences involved in aflatoxin production in the fungus Aspergillus flavus. They act like molecular search engines, targeting genes that become active when aflatoxins are being produced. These e-probes are crucial for EDNAtran technology, which uses them to identify and detect the presence of the fungus and its toxins. Using these probes, scientists can quickly determine if the fungus is actively producing the toxin, enabling rapid detection of contamination.

What is RNA sequencing and why is it used in this context?

RNA sequencing is a process used in conjunction with EDNAtran to identify active genes within a sample, such as crops. This method extracts RNA, sequences it, and analyzes the data to find specific gene activity. The significance of RNA sequencing lies in its ability to provide a detailed snapshot of gene expression, allowing scientists to detect the presence of aflatoxin-producing fungi by identifying the activity of genes involved in aflatoxin production. This provides a method to detect contamination.