Happy National Peanut Day! HudsonAlpha scientists helping create safer peanuts

HUNTSVILLE – HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology Faculty Investigator Dr. Josh Clevenger, is expanding his work to create aflatoxin-resistant peanuts through a research project sponsored in part by Mars Wrigley, maker of some of the world’s most beloved treats and snacks.

And it’s just in time to celebrate National Peanut Day today.

With the support of Mars Wrigley, Clevenger and his collaborators will work to create peanuts with protection against aflatoxin, with the goal of safer peanut harvests and peace of mind for farmers and consumers alike. Co-leading the project with Clevenger is Dr. Peggy Ozias-Akins, distinguished research professor at the University of Georgia.

Peanuts thrive in warm climates and boast an impressive nutritional profile. Rich in protein, healthy fats, fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals, peanuts contribute significantly to a balanced diet, especially in regions facing protein deficiencies.

But their impact extends beyond individual health. Peanuts are a crucial cash crop for countless farmers across the globe, particularly in developing nations. Their cultivation generates income, fosters rural development, and empowers communities, making peanuts a valuable player in both global food security and economic stability.

This powerhouse crop has a few foes that threaten successful growing seasons and harvests. Chief among them are aflatoxins, potent toxins produced under certain conditions by Aspergillus fungi that thrive in the warm, humid conditions that peanuts also love. They can contaminate peanut crops both in the field and during storage. However, aflatoxins are not limited to peanuts; they affect many crops, from tree nuts to cereals to oilseeds.

While aflatoxin risk can be mitigated through robust quality control, if uncontrolled, aflatoxins pose a serious health risk to humans, potentially causing liver damage, stunted growth in children, and even increasing the risk of cancer. Contamination can devastate consumers’ health and also farmers’ livelihoods, as contaminated crops often need to be discarded, leading to significant economic losses.

Managing the threat of aflatoxins through improved agricultural practices, proper storage conditions, and robust regulations is important for safeguarding human health and peanut production’s sustainability worldwide.

“Peanuts are a critical ingredient in our portfolio for some of our biggest global brands, including M&M’S and Snickers,” said Peggy Tsatsos, principal scientist at Mars. “As one of the top five buyers of edible peanuts in the world, we believe it is our duty to address some of these major challenges in the food supply chain, including aflatoxin, to pave the way for safe and healthy consumption for all.”

Using biotechnology to create safer peanuts

In their new sponsored project, Clevenger and his team, along with collaborators at the University of Georgia, aim to tackle aflatoxins by creating peanut varieties with built-in protection from aflatoxins. Clevenger and his research team are turning to other crop systems to study their defenses against aflatoxins.

The Tulare walnut contains antioxidant compounds called hydrolyzable tannins that can reduce aflatoxin contamination. Buckwheat is also known to contain antioxidants called tocopherols that likely reduce aflatoxin contamination. The team will perform an in-depth genetic study of the biosynthetic pathways for both of these antioxidants in peanuts to try to enhance their expression in peanut seeds.

Postdoctoral fellow Dr. Sueme Ueno, the newest member of the Clevenger lab, will lead the team for this project. She is a plant breeder by training but has focused her work largely on plant transformation for the past few years. Plant transformation is a method of inserting new DNA or increasing the expression of existing genes in a plant to give the plant desirable traits.

“After we’ve done a deep dive into the genes regulating these potentially protective biosynthetic pathways, we’ll select candidate genes for transformation,” said Ueno. “By enhancing the expression of key genes from the pathways, we hope to provide protection against aflatoxin biosynthesis in pre- and postharvest.”

Ueno is creating and optimizing peanut transformation protocols at HudsonAlpha. HudsonAlpha Faculty Investigator Dr. Kankshita Swaminathan and her lab are experts at plant transformation in large grasses and will be collaborating with Ueno to optimize the peanut transformation methods.

Successfully transformed lines will be tested for antioxidant accumulation and eventually challenged with Aspergillus to see if they are protected against aflatoxins. Once a stable line with protection has been created and is ready for launch, it will be available to growers for testing.

“I am most excited to be a part of this project because of its wide-ranging impact,” said Ueno. “Our goal is to deliver safer food across the globe. Many countries in Africa and South America do not have access to technology to take care of peanuts after harvest, which is when a lot of aflatoxin contamination occurs.

“Having a reliable source of genetic resistance will be a game changer for them, giving them the peace of mind that their crop is safe from aflatoxin.”

In addition to tackling aflatoxin by ramping up antioxidants in peanut tissues, Clevenger and his team also hope to mitigate aflatoxin by addressing an often-linked issue: drought. Aspergillus fungi produce aflatoxins when conditions are hot and dry. During times of drought, peanuts become stressed, leading to exacerbated aflatoxin production.

Increasing drought tolerance in peanuts could mitigate aflatoxin production and contamination.

With support from Mars Wrigley, Clevenger and his team are using genomics and computational tools to identify genetic markers that confer drought tolerance during late growing season stress.