"Novel insights, tools and measures to mitigate emerging risks by yeasts in the food chain"" Is the title of the project, selected in the XVIII National Competition for the Award of Aid to Research in Life Sciences and Matter. These grants are to promote Spanish scientific research, particularly in those areas that require special attention and are of special interest to the society.
The main goal of this project is to understand the mechanisms responsible for the virulence of food-related yeasts on humans, and to provide tools and recommendations to prevent the release of yeasts strains that pose a risk to the population into the food chain. This project will also provide to the food industry a new simple methodology based on invertebrate models to test for yeast pathogenicity before yeasts are used in the food chain and a better knowledge of the critical conditions that may favor the selection of pathogenic yeasts during food production. This way, companies that produce yeast-containing foods will be able to inform consumers about the safety of their products. This can also be valuable to improve health quality, a key element in the modern food market.