In vitro inoculation of peanuts with Aspergillus flavus, by Brianna Cheek
Aspergillus flavus is a fungus that produces the cancer-causing metabolite aflatoxin, which can cause liver cancer in humans exposed to the toxin. To test if a variety of peanut is resistant to the production of aflatoxin, researchers can perform an in vitro inoculation in a petri dish to contaminate the peanut seed with the fungus. We can then extract the aflatoxin from the peanut seed and measure it using a fluorometer, so we can gain a better understanding of the levels of resistance available in our peanut lines.
