Gluten-free Barley?
Celiac disease is the most common food-sensitive intestinal condition in humans. It is an autoimmune disorder that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. The disease is triggered by eating gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Currently, there is no cure for celiac disease and the only treatment is to adopt a gluten-free diet.
Washington State University scientist Diter Von Wettstein has been awarded grants the past two years to advance his research to develop wheat varieties safe to eat by people with celiac disease. His research focuses on removing the gliadin proteins from wheat. Gliadins are the substances in wheat that cannot be digested, eventually cross the intestinal wall, and damage the intestinal lining.
Dr. von Wettstein and his team have identified a fully viable, barley mutant that lacks gliadin proteins. However, gliadins along with glutenins are the proteins responsible for bread dough's elasticity and plasticity. That is, the ability of dough to change shape under pressure, yet resist pressure and move back to its original shape when pressure is removed. Using genetic methods to remove the celiac-causing proteins, Dr. von Wettstein's task is to produce a similar wheat grain while preserving wheat's baking qualities. Once this happens you can kiss your sorghum beer goodbye.
