Have Celiac Disease? Researchers Are Close To Delivering A Gluten-Free Grain For You
Listen
People with Celiac disease are a bit closer to enjoying gluten products again.
With the help of genetic modification, a team of Northwest scientists have engineered a unique wheat variety that’s safe for people with gluten sensitivities and allergies.
Gluten — a mix of proteins found in most grains — is what gives bread dough its elasticity. It’s found in everything from your morning cereal to beer to even some medications.
The only treatment available for Celiac is a gluten-free diet.
Since 2012, a group of scientists from Washington State University, Clemson University and other international research institutions have been working on changing a wheat strain to include an enzyme that would actually break down gluten.
Sachin Rustgi is one of the researchers behind it.
“Rather than eating a food supplement from outside, we actually introduced a glutinous gene into the wheat grain itself,” Rustgi explained.
That fix is similar to lactose intolerance: Sometimes people will take a pill to help them digest dairy products. This is like that pill being genetically modified to be inside the milk.
But it’s not coming to consumer shelves quite yet. The new wheat strain won’t be on the market for at least another few years. First scientists want to make sure the wheat can withstand high heat — like it would in an oven.
It’s good news for the estimated three million Americans — many who remain undiagnosed — who could be able to consume gluten products.
NOTE: WSU holds the broadcasting license of Northwest Public Broadcasting, though NWPB is editorially independent.
Related Stories:
The last of the Salish Sea reefnetters don’t want to be the last
Only 12 commercial fishing captains still hold permits to go reefnet fishing in the Pacific Northwest out of a fleet that once numbered in the hundreds. The distinctive fishing technique dates back thousands of years as an Indigenous method to catch salmon. Its practitioners today say the gear should proliferate as the preferred way to harvest healthy salmon runs while avoiding fragile stocks. Continue Reading The last of the Salish Sea reefnetters don’t want to be the last
New Technology Could Keep Wildfire Smoke Out Of Wine
Wine grapes are exposed to smoke for 36 hours, with samples taken every six hours to analyze how wildfire smoke might affect the grapes, and the final wine. Professor Tom… Continue Reading New Technology Could Keep Wildfire Smoke Out Of Wine
Rising Tide: Pacific Northwest Could Soon Double Or Triple Its Small Number Of Seaweed Farms
There’s a rising tide of interest in opening seaweed farms in the Pacific Northwest. If even half of the current applicants succeed, it would more than double the small number of commercial seaweed growing operations in Oregon and Washington state. Continue Reading Rising Tide: Pacific Northwest Could Soon Double Or Triple Its Small Number Of Seaweed Farms
