A major focus of our research is understanding the evolution of aflatoxigenicity. Aflatoxin is one of the most carcinogenic compounds known and is responsible for major yield losses in oil seed crops worldwide. The evolutionary processes that modulate aflatoxin biosynthesis in nature are poorly understood. Currently, we are acquiring basic knowledge on the evolution of the aflatoxin gene cluster in populations of two agriculturally important aflatoxin-producing species, A. flavus and A. parasiticus. 

Our goal is to apply our knowledge of the evolutionary processes that influence aflatoxigenicity in natural populations to the development of novel biocontrol measures, ultimately fine-tuning these control strategies using our knowledge of the population genetic structure of these fungi.