Research |
OVERVIEW | APPROACHES | STAFF | PUBLICATIONS
Project Overview
Wheat contributes 8 to 12 billion dollars annually to the US economy. Wheat flour is an important food ingredient used in a wide variety of products. A complex group of proteins in the endosperm, the gluten proteins, confer properties of extensibility and elasticity that are unique to wheat flour doughs. Other non-gluten proteins play important roles in grain development and may also influence quality. Both gluten and non-gluten proteins also are a major cause of food intolerances and allergies. Environmental conditions during wheat grain development impact flour quality and create major problems for millers and bakers. The primary goal of the research is to delineate the manner in which environment influences flour quality and allergenicity.
- Determine the basis for changes in flour protein composition and quality that result from exposure to high temperatures during wheat grain development.
- Identify and characterize wheat proteins responsible for human sensitivities and allergies and develop methods to detect allergenic proteins in food products.
Research Goals
OVERVIEW | APPROACHES | STAFF | PUBLICATIONS
Approaches
Growth of Plants Wheat plants are grown in greenhouses under controlled regimens where temperature, water and fertilizer levels are varied. | |
Grain Development The effects of environmental treatments on key events in grain development are examined. | |
Gene Expression The effects of environmental treatments on the expression of both gluten and non-gluten protein genes are evaluated. | |
Proteomics A proteomics approach is used to identify proteins present in wheat endosperm and establish the effect of environmental conditions on protein accumulation profiles during grain development. | |
Flour Quality & Composition Quality is evaluated by micro-methods in house and in collaboration with USDA Wheat Quality Laboratories. |
OVERVIEW | APPROACHES | STAFF | PUBLICATIONS
Scientific Staff
|
|
OVERVIEW | APPROACHES | STAFF | PUBLICATIONS
Publications
Published Articles We have made published journal articles, proceedings, and book chapters available for online viewing or download in Adobe Acrobat? (PDF) format. | |
Research Posters We have made research posters that were presented at scientific conferences available for online viewing or download in Adobe Acrobat? (PDF) format. |