Entrevista: Peter Shewry, Rothamsted Research, UK

Testimony of Peter Shewry, Botanist, Sustainable Soils and Crops at Rothamsted Research, UK

Why it's important to attend the XIV Gluten Workshop?

"Wheat gluten proteins are the most widely studied proteins of plant origin, with scientific publications extending back almost 300 years. This interest reflects the importance of gluten proteins in underpinning the utilisation of wheat to make bread, pasta, noodles and other foods. Further interest, particularly over the past few decades, has focused on the role of wheat gluten proteins in provoking adverse health reactions to wheat consumption: coeliac disease, allergy and wheat sensitivity.

The International Gluten Workshops have been the central international fora on wheat gluten proteins since their establishment in Nantes in 1980, bringing researchers together to discuss progress and future research priorities in the wider context of grain development and utilisation. The multidisciplinary approach of the workshops, including biochemists, developmental biologists, food chemists and biomedical scientists, is particularly important in developing evidence-based approaches to the challenges facing the wheat grain chain, from increasing grain production to improving end use quality and outcomes for consumers. The XIV Workshop is therefore an essential for wheat grain researchers worldwide".