Developed by STMicroelectronics within the EWA-BELT Poroject (GA 862848), the innovative portable Q3 qPCR device tool to detect mycotoxins was presented during the 23rd Infopoverty World Conference on April 12, 2024 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
"Thanks to the high sensitivity of qPCR, we can perform early detection of mycotoxin-producing fungi, which can promptly trigger containment actions to try and save the crops, or at least limit their waste."
Watch the statements by the speakers on our "SI in Africa" Joint YouTube channel
Acknowledging to the urgency of tackling food-insecurity issues, confirmed by the figures according to which the incidence of severe food insecurity rose from 9.3% in 2019 to 11.7 percent in 2021 - marking an increase equivalent to 207 million additional people over the span of two years (Source: https://www.who.int/news/item/06-07-2022-un-report--global-hunger-numbers-rose-to-as-many-as-828-million-in-2021), the EWABELT Project has been investing in research and operative actions to provide heterogeneous solutions capable of easing the burden of food-insecurity on agri-food systems.
Recognizing the relevance of mycotoxins and the issues these compounds represent for food security in Sub-Saharan Africa, the EWABELT Project is developing innovative approaches, spanning from improved storage technologies and decision support systems, to early detection of mould development in the stored commodities. This is exactly what STMicroelectronics is doing within the Consortium with the development of the portable qPCR tool.
What are mycotoxins? What is the Q3 qPCR tool developed by STMicroelectronics? How can it be employed?
Professor Quirico Migheli from the University of Sassari, Researcher Marco Cereda from STMicroelectronics and Lecturer Abigael Ouko from University of Nairobi, have answered all these questions during the second session of the 23rd Infopoverty World Conference dedicated to the Project on the theme “Poverty eradication and hunger: a first challenging priority for AI” on April 12, 2024 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Enjoy the video!
Drawing from the insights emerged from the statements of the participants - stay tuned for more! - OCCAM drafted the Final declaration of the Conference, which includes suggestions, proposals and recommendations at all levels to cope with an ever-changing world where technologies, if adequately oriented and regulated, could be beneficial to a global socio-economic development in view of e-welfare for all, in the respect of human rights and UN principles.
Alongside it, OCCAM outlined the Plan of Action that encompasses all the operative instances that emerged towards the achievement of the SDGs and the UN 2030 Agenda, dedicating particular attention to the best practices of the EWABELT Project and promoting scientific and policy recommendations for the benefit of the most disadvantaged communities, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
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