Synthetic Biology Approaches in Reducing Mycotoxin Contamination and Enhancing Food System Sustainability

Extreme climate events are escalating mycotoxin contamination-toxic secondary metabolites from filamentous fungi-posing severe threats to human/animal health and causing significant global food losses. Synthetic biology offers transformative solutions for mycotoxin mitigation and sustainable utilization of food and by-products from food processing. Key advances in mycotoxin control integrate artificial intelligence and multi-omics to develop recognition elements, antimicrobial agents, and degrading enzymes, which enable rapid detection and effective control of both mycotoxin-producing fungi and mycotoxins. Sustainability applications span three domains: by-product valorization via engineered microbial upcycling, new edible materials (e.g., fungal proteins), and enhancement of crop yield and disease resistance, highlighting emerging technologies like CRISPR-based multiplex editing and microbial cell factories. Collectively, this work underscores synthetic biology's critical role in mycotoxin degradation and value-added conversion of food and its by-products, driving progress toward food security and circular bioeconomy.