Andrea Patriarca

Dr. Andrea Patriarca is a Senior Lecturer in Mycology at Cranfield University’s Centre for Soil, Agrifood and Biosciences, where she leads research on fungal spoilage and mycotoxin contamination in food. She previously served as an Associate Professor and Head of the Food Mycology research group at the University of Buenos Aires and as an Independent Researcher with CONICET. She has been a visiting scientist at institutions in Denmark, Spain, and the UK, and is a member of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (2023–2027).

Her research focuses on food mycology, particularly the genus Alternaria and Fusarium, their taxonomy, ecophysiology, and mycotoxin production. She investigates fungal contamination in cereals and vegetables, the impact of climate change on mycotoxin accumulation, and the development of rapid detection methods and eco-friendly control strategies. Her work spans from field to fork, integrating polyphasic approaches combining molecular, taxonomic, and metabolomic data.

Dr. Patriarca’s recent publications highlight trends in mycotoxin detection, fungal taxonomy, food safety in plant-based products, and biological control methods. Her research has strong industrial relevance, with collaborations involving General Mills, Unilever, Tetra Laval, and other major food companies.

• Fundación Carolina & Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (Argentina) grant (2010)
• CONICET Young Researchers External Fellowships (2011)
• Thalmann Program, University of Buenos Aires (2013)
• Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation (Argentina) grant (2014)
• Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives expert roster (2023–2027)

She supervises PhD students and leads projects such as FunShield4Med and Seed Microbiome Engineering, focusing on sustainable agriculture and foresight in fungal threats. Her advisory work includes consultancy for food industries on fungal spoilage and mycotoxin mitigation. She has contributed to books with Elsevier, Springer, and CRC Press and maintains active research networks including MYTOX-SOUTH.