Harnessing wheat genomics resources to improve starch quality for human health
Lead Research Organisation:
QUADRAM INSTITUTE BIOSCIENCE
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Technical Summary
The consumption of starchy, energy-rich convenience foods is underpinning catastrophic increases in obesity and related diseases like diabetes in both developed and developing countries. Since wheat is the most widely grown cereal crop and provides about 20% of the calories consumed worldwide, improving wheat starch quality provides a substantial opportunity to improve human health.
The aim of this research project is to improve the health impact of wheat starch by understanding how new variation in wheat starch genes affect starch structure and digestibility in the grain and wheat-based foods using biochemical and physicochemical approaches. This information will be used to fine-tune starch structure and design new wheats with slowly-digested and resistant starches using crop molecular genetics approaches. New wheat starches will be investigated using in vitro and in vivo models to understand their potential impacts on maintenance of glucose homeostasis and gut health.
The aim of this research project is to improve the health impact of wheat starch by understanding how new variation in wheat starch genes affect starch structure and digestibility in the grain and wheat-based foods using biochemical and physicochemical approaches. This information will be used to fine-tune starch structure and design new wheats with slowly-digested and resistant starches using crop molecular genetics approaches. New wheat starches will be investigated using in vitro and in vivo models to understand their potential impacts on maintenance of glucose homeostasis and gut health.
Planned Impact
unavailable
People |
ORCID iD |
| Brittany Hazard (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Hazard B
(2020)
Strategies to improve wheat for human health.
in Nature food
Karimov A
(2019)
Encyclopedia of Food Security and Sustainability
Schönhofen A
(2016)
Registration of Common Wheat Germplasm with Mutations in SBEII Genes Conferring Increased Grain Amylose and Resistant Starch Content.
in Journal of plant registrations
| Description | • We characterized starch branching enzyme II (SBEII) mutants of wheat to determine the effects of mutations on starch physicochemical properties and how this relates to levels of resistant starch. • We determined how resistant starch levels change during processing (cooking/cooling) in wheat SBEII mutants. • We used in vitro models to determine the digestibility of prototype wheat foods made with SBEII mutants. • To understand pleiotropic effects of SBEII mutations on end-use functionality we performed end-use quality testing of bread and crackers made with wheat SBEII mutants. • To gain primary insight on potential health impact of high-resistant starch wheat, we designed a test food using a wheat SBEII mutant to investigate glycemic response in an acute human intervention study. • To develop new starch mutants, we used the in silico wheat TILLING resource (exome capture and re-sequencing of hexaploid Cadenza mutants) to select lines carrying null mutations in each homoeoallele of seven starch synthase and starch branching enzyme genes expected to influence starch structure and composition. We initiated a crossing program to generate single-, double-, and triple-null mutants for each gene using different combinations of mutant homoeoalleles. |
| Exploitation Route | • Information generated for wheat SBEII mutants will inform future studies to investigate health impact of high-resistant starch wheat. • We expect the new panel of null starch mutants to exhibit distinct starch structural properties. In collaboration with Molecules from Nature ISP and Designing Future Wheat ISP we will use these materials to explore the role of each homoeologue in amylose and amylopectin synthesis and how this relates to starch digestibility. New wheat starches will also be investigated using in vitro and in vivo models to understand their potential impacts on maintenance of glucose homeostasis and gut health. |
| Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink |
| Description | BBSRC GCRF Data and Resources |
| Amount | £404,094 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2016 |
| End | 06/2017 |
| Description | BBSRC Norwich Research Park Doctoral Training Partnership studentship |
| Amount | £20,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2016 |
| End | 09/2020 |
| Description | BBSRC Norwich Research Park Doctoral Training Partnership studentship |
| Amount | £20,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2018 |
| End | 09/2022 |
| Description | CIMMYT Wheat and Maize Quality |
| Organisation | International Centre for Maize and Wheat Improvement (CIMMYT) |
| Country | Mexico |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | I partnered with the leaders of the wheat and maize quality groups at CIMMYT to apply for joint funding opportunities. The research areas focused on enhancing starch quality in wheat and maize for human health. The impact of the work focused on reducing dietary risk factors for noncommunicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries. |
| Collaborator Contribution | CIMMYT contributed their expertise in breeding for wheat and maize quality, support and facilities for growing multi-environmental field trials, producing grain for food and health studies, introgressing starch traits into breeding lines, wheat quality evaluations, and knowledge for developing effective pathways to impact. |
| Impact | 1) Organized an international workshop at CIMMYT in Mexico 'Improving Staple Crops and Foods to Tackle Global Nutrition and Health Challenges' (28 Jan - 4 Feb 2017). 2) Hosted visiting worker from CIMMYT during May to gain preliminary data on variation in resistant starch and starch digestibility of native maize landraces and how this changes through processing in traditional Mexican foods (May 2017). 3) Initiated multi-environmental field trials in Mexico to investigate genotype by environment interactions in relation to starch properties and digestibility in wheat. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Collaboration with Imperial College London for Human Intervention Study on Resistant Starch Wheat |
| Organisation | Imperial College London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I collaborated with Imperial College London to run a pilot study investigating acute glycemic response of wheat with enhanced resistant starch. My PhD student designed and characterized a test food made with high-resistant starch wheat. |
| Collaborator Contribution | My partner at Imperial College London used our high-resistant starch test food in an acute intervention study to measure blood glucose after a meal. |
| Impact | The outcome of this collaboration was primary in vivo data related to potential health impact of high-resistant starch wheat. This data will be used to inform design of future studies and define target levels of resistant starch required to have an impact in vivo. It will also be used as preliminary data to support future grant proposals and protocols for other intervention studies. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Career fair at Cromer Academy |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | I participated in a local career fair for high school students. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Discussion with Arcadia Biosciences |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | I participated in discussions with Arcadia Biosciences about ideas for collaborative research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Host visiting high school student |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | I hosted a visiting high school student to learn about research in out lab. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Hosted student from Year 10 science camp |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | My lab hosted a year 10 student for a day to learn about research in our lab. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Hosted undergraduate student for 3rd year research project |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | My laboratory hosted an undergraduate student to conduct their 3rd year research dissertation project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Hosted visiting worker from CIMMYT to learn starch analysis methods |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | My lab hosted a visiting worker from CIMMYT during May to provide training on starch analysis for maize samples. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Hosted visitor from Agri |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | I hosted a visitor from Agri to present about my research and identify opportunities for collaboration. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Hosted visitors from Ardent Mills |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | I hosted visitors from Ardent Mills and gave a presentation on my research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Interactive activities for Open Day event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | My laboratory participated in an Open Day event which hosted members of the local general public. We designed interactive activities for visitors to learn about wheat in the food chain and starch. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Interview for Feast Norfolk magazine |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Interview for article in Feast Norfolk Magazine aimed at informing the general public about the research happening at Quadram Institute Bioscience. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Interview for Gaurdian Newspaper |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I participated in an interview for Gaurdian Newspaper about working at the Norwich Research Park. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Interview for Vegetable Farmer Magazine |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | I participated in an interview for Vegetable Farmer Magazine. For the interview I discussed my research on developing healthier wheat starch. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Interview for Your Norfolk Magazine |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I participated in an interview for Your Norfolk Magazine to talk about my research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Lecture for postgraduate course (Target traits for crop improvement) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | I gave a lecture for a postgraduate course on target traits for crop improvement. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Meeting with visitors from ICRISAT |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | I participated in a meeting with visitors from ICRISAT to present about my research and identify opportunities for collaboration. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Organized an international workshop at CIMMYT in Mexico - Improving Staple Crops and Foods to Tackle Global Nutrition and Health Challenges |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I organized an international workshop at CIMMYT in Mexico on Improving Staple Crops and Foods to Tackle Global Nutrition and Health Challenges. The purpose of this workshop was to establish collaborative partnerships between the Institute of Food Research (Norwich, UK) and researchers working in Mexico and other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). These partnerships will facilitate the development of multidisciplinary research projects focused on improving staple crops and foods for human health to address global nutrition and health challenges. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Participation in Breeder Day event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | My laboratory participated in a Breeder's Day event which hosted breeders and other industry stakeholders. We presented a summary of our research next to our research plots in the field. This was followed by questions and discussion. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Participation in visit from Hovis |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | I gave a presentation to visitors from Hovis and engaged in discussion on potential areas for collaboration. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Pint of Science public presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The Pint of Science festival aims to deliver interesting and relevant talks on the latest science research in an accessible format to the public - mainly across bars and pubs. I gave a presentation on my research in an informal pub setting to the general public. The presentation was followed by questions and discussion. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Presentation for Agri-Tech East "Nutritious and Delicious" event about new innovations for food crops |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | I gave a presentation for Agri-Tech East's "Nutritious and Delicious" event about new innovations for food crops. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Presentation for Allied Milling and Baking Technical Centre |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | I visited and presented my research to Allied Milling and Baking Technical Centre. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Presentation for Campden BRI |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | I visited and presented my research to Campden BRI. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Presentation for Institute of Growers and Distributors (IGD) Technical leadership Forum |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | The Technical Leadership Forum (TLF) is a group of technical directors from major retailers and manufacturers the supports the Institute of Growers and Distributors (IGD). IGD is a research and training charity. I gave a presentation to the TLF on the research my lab is doing to develop healthier wheat starches. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Presentation for National Association of British and Irish Flour Millers Science Day |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | I gave a presentation to members of the National Association of British and Irish Flour Millers at their Research Seminar Day. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Presentation for Pasta Foods |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | I visited and presented my research to Pasta Foods. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Presentation for WGIN Stakeholder meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | I presented my research at the annual WGIN Stakeholder meeting. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Presentation for the University of the Third Age |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | U3A (The University of the Third Age) is a UK-wide movement which brings together people in their 'third age' to develop their interests and continue their learning in a friendly and informal environment. Members of U3A visited Quadram Institute Bioscience in April 2017 for a presentation by myself and PhD student on developing healthier wheat starches. The presentation was followed by questions and further discussion. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Radio interview for BBC Radio Norfolk/BBC Farming Today |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I participated in a radio interview for BBC Radio Norfolk/BBC Farming Today. The topic focused on the research my lab is doing to develop healthier wheat starch. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | TV interview for BBC Look East |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I participated in a TV interview for TV interview for BBC Look East. The topic focused on the research my lab is doing to develop healthier wheat starch. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Tour and presentation for UKRI institute visit |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Supporters |
| Results and Impact | I hosted members of UKRI for a tour of the JIC Church Farm field. This included a presentation on the research my lab is doing to develop healthier wheat starch. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Visit and presentation to RAGT Seeds |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | I visited and gave a presentation to RAGT Seeds. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Visit by seed company to discuss research on starch trait development |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | My lab hosted a visitor from a seed company to discuss our research on starch trait development in wheat. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |