Megan A. Dupnik

Megan A. Dupnik participated in summer (2013) research at Purdue University under the supervision of Drs. Wise and Woloshuk while she was a junior in Plant and Soil Science at Texas A&M Kingsville. Her research helped determine the time required for aflatoxin M1 to clear the milk of goats that were fed aflatoxin-contaminated corn. Megan led the analysis of the milk, which involved purification of the aflatoxin M1 and its quantification by HPLC. Megan also participated in research to investigate the effects of low oxygen on Aspergillus flavus growth and aflatoxin production. This research was part of the on-going research on Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) system. PICS consist of a low-cost bags system that creates a sealed barrier for store grain that results in a low-oxygen environment inside. Farmers in West and Central Africa are using PICS bags to control insect pests. Megan’s work was to determine if the PICS system could prevent the accumulation of aflatoxin during storage. Megan has since completed her undergraduate degree, and is now pursuing an M.S. at the University of Georgia, working on fungal diseases of biofuel crops.