Population Structure of Aspergillus flavus Communities in Wisconsin

The objectives of the current cooperative research project are to develop improved information on gene flow among communities of aflatoxin-producing fungi associated with crops, movement of these fungi between high-risk southern regions and low-risk northern regions, and processes of adaptation and divergence within geographically separate populations. The work is expected to provide insights on potential processes through which populations of aflatoxin-producing fungi respond to periodic droughts and/or climate change and thereby provide insights useful in the development of techniques to management aflatoxins.