Biology’s Marion Brodhagen to Discuss “Tainted Food: The Story of Aflatoxin” Tonight at City Hall

Western Washington University Assistant Professor of Biology Marion Brodhagen will discuss “Tainted Food: The Story of Aflatoxin” starting at 7 p.m.  Tuesday, Feb. 19, at the Bellingham City Council chambers, second floor, Bellingham City Hall, 210 Lottie St.

The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is offered as part of the annual “Science and the UniverCity” community science lecture series. It is sponsored by Western’s College of Sciences and Technology and the City of Bellingham.

Last fall, more than 50 percent of corn raised in Missouri was over the legal limit for a deadly toxin called aflatoxin. Produced by a fungus that infects seeds and grains in warm climates, aflatoxin has long been a serious food security issue for developing nations in subtropical regions. As our climate changes, it may become a much more dominant problem in the U.S.

Brodhagen will discuss the fungus that produces aflatoxin and how we might interfere with fungal communication to stop the fungus from making this deadly poison.

Brodhagen earned her master’s degree in science from Oregon State University in 1998 and her doctorate from OSU in 2003. She has taught at Western since 2006.

For more information, contact Brodhagen at (360) 650-2920 or marion.brodhagen@wwu.edu.