This project focuses on food safety, a critical concern in todays increasingly globalized environment, where food contamination poses significant risks to public health due to known and emerging foodborne chemical and biological contaminants. Specifically, our proposal aims to develop and implement rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective optical sensors and bio(mimetic )assays to watch food safety for mycotoxins and improve health through theragnostics of colorectal cancer (CRC), two areas of current significant impact on the One Health approach. The targets selection will demonstrate the applicability of novel bio-inspired sensing elements with molecular recognition features prepared by molecular imprinting of organic polymers and phage display technologies. These approaches will streamline the collection of crucial data on the presence of selected emerging and legislated mycotoxins and fungal pathogens in various food products (juices, brews, cereals, rice, fruits and vegetables) that will be conveyed to the concerned authorities to facilitate future new or revised regulation on these foodborne contaminants worldwide.
Furthermore, by creating next-generation recombinant enzymes that selectively bind to and degrade mycotoxins, we will introduce promising solutions for effectively detoxifying the feed of (monogastric) animals without compromising its nutritional value. Additionally, some of the proposed sensing platforms and mycotoxing-abating materials can be used in less-favored countries, where mycotoxin detection and mitigation are particularly challenging.
Ultimately, the comprehensive strategy of the project seeks to extend our bioanalytical strategies to theragnostics of colorectal cancer (CRC), a condition that might be associated to the longstanding intake of mycotoxins in food. The proposed CRC theragnostics involves the detection of its PTPRN biomarker and precision photodynamic therapy based on reactive oxygen species generated by photosensitizers. The luminescent photochemical sensors and bioassays we envisage will assist clinicians in assessing colorectal cancer and differentiate it from Type 2 diabetes. Additionally, refactored M13 bifunctional phages targeting PTPRN that have been genetically equipped with the photosensitizers, together with photoactive molecular recognition nanomaterials selective to the same biomarker, will offer highly precise phototheragnostic nanodevices for detecting, imaging and abating cells or tissues that overexpress PTPRN in patients with CRC. These advances are expected to improve the quality of life of patients with this condition and save both human lives and treatment costs alike.
