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Report from the 30th Meeting on Toxinology, “Unlocking the Deep Secrets of Toxins”, Organized by the French Society of Toxinology on 2–3 December 2024

Toxins 2025, 17(2), 94; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins17020094

The French Society of Toxinology (SFET) held its 30th Annual Meeting (RT30) on 2–3 December 2024 at Hôtel Le Saint Paul in Nice, France, on the beautiful French Riviera. It was the first time that the event was organized outside of Paris. The meeting brought together 74 participants and focused on the main theme, “Unlocking the Deep Secrets of Toxins”, which delved into cutting-edge research in the field of animal venoms and toxins from animal, plant, fungal, algal, mold and bacterial sources. The event emphasized the dynamic and ever-evolving nature of toxins, often influenced by environmental factors, their interactions with molecular or cellular ligands, their mechanisms of action and their potential applications in therapy. These key topics were explored in depth during oral communications and poster sessions across three main thematic areas, each dedicated to a specific aspect of toxinology. A fourth, more general session provided an opportunity for participants to present recent work that fell outside the main themes but still contributed valuable insights to the broader field. This report presents the abstracts of seven of the invited lectures, fifteen of the selected lectures and sixteen of the posters, following the authors’ agreement to publish them. Additionally, the names of the “Best Oral Communication” and “Best Poster” awardees are highlighted, recognizing the outstanding contributions made by early-career researchers and their innovative work in toxinology.
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Report from the 29th Meeting on Toxinology, “Toxins: From the Wild to the Lab”, Organized by the French Society of Toxinology on 30 November–1 December 2023

Toxins 2024, 16(3), 147; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins16030147

The French Society of Toxinology (SFET), which celebrated its 30th anniversary this year, organized its 29th annual Meeting (RT29), shared by 87 participants, on 30 November–1 December 2023. The RT29 main theme, “Toxins: From the Wild to the Lab”, focused on research in the field of animal venoms and animal, bacterial, fungal, or plant toxins, from their discovery in nature to their study in the laboratory. The exploration of the functions of toxins, their structures, their molecular or cellular ligands, their mode of action, and their potential therapeutic applications were emphasized during oral communications and posters through three sessions, of which each was dedicated to a secondary theme. A fourth, “miscellaneous” session allowed participants to present recent out-of-theme works. The abstracts of nine invited and 15 selected lectures, those of 24 posters, and the names of the Best Oral Communication and Best Poster awardees, are presented in this report.
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Abstracts of Presentations to the Working Session on Improving Predictive Modeling of Mycotoxin Risk for Africa Held at the 3rd ASM2022 on 7 September 2022, in Stellenbosch, South Africa

Toxins 2023, 15(3), 174; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins15030174

In 2008, the African Postharvest Losses Information Systems project (APHLIS, accessed on 6 September 2022) developed an algorithm for estimating the scale of cereal postharvest losses (PHLs). The relevant scientific literature and contextual information was used to build profiles of the PHLs occurring along the value chains of nine cereal crops by country and province for 37 sub-Saharan African countries. The APHLIS provides estimates of PHL figures where direct measurements are not available. A pilot project was subsequently initiated to explore the possibility of supplementing these loss estimates with information on the aflatoxin risk. Using satellite data on drought and rainfall, a time series of agro-climatic aflatoxin risk warning maps for maize was developed covering the countries and provinces of sub-Saharan Africa. The agro-climatic risk warning maps for specific countries were shared with mycotoxin experts from those countries for review and comparison with their aflatoxin incidence datasets. The present Work Session was a unique opportunity for African food safety mycotoxins experts, as well as other international experts, to meet and deepen the discussion about prospects for using their experience and their data to validate and improve agro-climatic risk modeling approaches.
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Report from the 28th Meeting on Toxinology, “Toxins: What’s up, Doc?”, Organized by the French Society of Toxinology on 28–29 November 2022

Toxins 2023, 15(2), 126; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins15020126

The French Society of Toxinology (SFET) organized its 28th annual meeting on 28–29 November 2022 (RT28). The central theme of this meeting was “Toxins: What’s up, Doc?”, emphasizing the latest findings on animal, bacterial, algal, plant and fungal toxins through sessions dedicated to deep learning, toxin tracking and toxinomic advances, shared by ca. 80 participants. The abstracts of the 10 invited and 11 selected lectures and 15 posters, along with the names of the Best Oral Communication and Best Poster awardees, are presented in this report.
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Report from the 27th (Virtual) Meeting on Toxinology, “Toxins: Mr Hyde or Dr Jekyll?”, Organized by the French Society of Toxinology, 9–10 December 2021

Toxins 2022, 14(2), 110; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins14020110

The French Society of Toxinology (SFET) organized its 27th annual meeting on 9–10 December 2021 as a virtual meeting (e-RT27). The central theme of this meeting was “Toxins: Mr Hyde or Dr Jekyll?”, emphasizing the latest findings on plant, fungal, algal, animal and bacterial toxins during 10 lectures, 15 oral communications (shorter lectures) and 20 posters shared by ca. 80 participants. The abstracts of lectures and posters, as well as the winners of the best oral communication and poster awards, are presented in this report.
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Report of the 1st International Electronic Conference on Toxins (IECT2021), 16–31 January 2021

Toxins 2021, 13(4), 273; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins13040273

The 1st International Electronic Conference on Toxins (IECT2021) was successfully held online by https://sciforum [...]
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Report of the Vth Workshop of the Spanish National Network on Mycotoxins and Toxigenic Fungi and Their Decontamination Processes (MICOFOOD), 10–11 December 2020

Toxins 2021, 13(1), 56; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins13010056

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Report from the 26th Meeting on Toxinology, “Bioengineering of Toxins”, Organized by the French Society of Toxinology (SFET) and Held in Paris, France, 4–5 December 2019

Toxins 2020, 12(1), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins12010031

This 26th edition of the annual Meeting on Toxinology (RT26) of the SFET (http://sfet.asso.fr/international) was held at the Institut Pasteur of Paris on 4–5 December 2019 [...]
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Report of the IVth Workshop of the Spanish National Network on Mycotoxins and Toxigenic Fungi and Their Decontamination Processes (MICOFOOD), Held in Pamplona, Spain, 29–31 May 2019

Toxins 2019, 11(7), 415; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins11070415

The present publication collects the communications presented in the IV Workshop of the Spanish National Network on Mycotoxins and Toxigenic Fungi and their Decontamination Processes (MICOFOOD), held in the School of Pharmacy and Nutrition of the Universidad de Navarra (Pamplona, Spain) from the 29 to the 31 May 2019. More than 70 professionals from academia, the industry and public services have participated. The scientific program included: five sessions: sponsors (presentation and services), toxigenic fungi, toxicology, analysis and control, and reduction and prevention strategies. In total, 18 oral communications and 24 posters were presented. It is worth mentioning the high participation and quality of the communications from PhD students. The invited conference, entitled: “Mycotoxins within the framework of exposure assessment: past present and future”, was given by Dr. Barbara de Santis (Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy). The meeting ended with the roundtable: “From feed to fork: safe food without mycotoxins”, where representatives of feed and agrofood companies and public administrations discussed about the current situation and problems related with mycotoxins. Different prizes were awarded for the best oral presentation (Effect of Staphylococcus xylosus on the growth of toxigenic moulds in meat substrates, by E. Cebrian et al., University of Extremadura), and the best posters (Combined toxicity of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A: A systematic review by M. Alonso-Jaúregui et al., Universidad de Navarra; and Application of natamycin in products affected by toxigenic fungi by Torrijos et al., Universitat de València). The participants had the opportunity to learn about the history and gastronomy of Pamplona. Situated in the north of Spain, Pamplona is a city of Roman origin featuring a large gothic cathedral complex and a Vauban citadel of the 16th century.
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Report from the 1st MYCOKEY International Conference Global Mycotoxin Reduction in the Food and Feed Chain Held in Ghent, Belgium, 11–14 September 2017

Toxins 2017, 9(9), 276; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins9090276

This conference is organized within the framework of the H2020—Research and Innovation Action—Societal Challenge 2—“Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research and the bioeconomy challenge”—GA 678781 MycoKey “Integrated and innovative key actions for mycotoxin management in the food and feed chain” [...]

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Priority Actions and Progress to Substantially and Sustainably Reduce the Mortality, Morbidity and Socioeconomic Burden of Tropical Snakebite

Toxins 2016, 8(12), 351; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins8120351

The deliberations and conclusions of a Hinxton Retreat convened in September 2015, entitled “Mechanisms to reverse the public health neglect of snakebite victims” are reported. The participants recommended that the following priority actions be included in strategies to reduce the global impact of snake envenoming: (a) collection of accurate global snakebite incidence, mortality and morbidity data to underpin advocacy efforts and help design public health campaigns; (b) promotion of (i) public education prevention campaigns; (ii) transport systems to improve access to hospitals and (iii) establishment of regional antivenom-efficacy testing facilities to ensure antivenoms’ effectiveness and safety; (c) exploration of funding models for investment in the production of antivenoms to address deficiencies in some regions; (d) establishment of (i) programs for training in effective first aid, hospital management and post-treatment care of victims; (ii) a clinical network to generate treatment guidelines and (iii) a clinical trials system to improve the clinical management of snakebite; (e) development of (i) novel treatments of the systemic and local tissue-destructive effects of envenoming and (ii) affordable, simple, point-of-care snakebite diagnostic kits to improve the accuracy and rapidity of treatment; (f) devising and implementation of interventions to help the people and communities affected by physical and psychological sequelae of snakebite.
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Report from the 5th International Symposium on Mycotoxins and Toxigenic Moulds: Challenges and Perspectives (MYTOX) Held in Ghent, Belgium, May 2016

Toxins 2016, 8(5), 146; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins8050146

The association research platform MYTOX “Mycotoxins and Toxigenic Moulds” held the 5th meeting of its International Symposium in Ghent, Belgium on 11 May 2016.[...]
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