Crispin Howitt (1), Gregory J. Tanner (1), Malcolm J. Blundell (1), Michelle L. Colgrave (1); (1) CSIRO Agriculture Flagship, Acton, Australia
IBD Symposium
Tuesday, August 16 • 8:15–11:30 a.m.
Tower Building, Second Level, Grand Ballroom
Coeliac disease is a well-understood disorder, occurring in 1% of the
population and requiring lifelong exclusion of gluten proteins in wheat
(gliadin and glutenins), barley (hordeins), rye (avenins) and, in some
individuals, oats (secalins). Untreated coeliac individuals suffer from
low bone density, increased intestinal malignancy, and must consume a
diet low in fiber and high in fat. To address these issues we have used
conventional breeding to create the hordein triple-null, ultra-low
gluten barley Kebari. This line has smaller grains, making processing
and malting less efficient relative to wild-type barley. We have
increased the seed weight and agronomics similar to commercial malting
barley. Wild-type (hulled) barley contains anti-nutritional silica
residues in the husk, which are of benefit to the brewing industry as
the spent husks form a filtration bed. In addition we have developed a
hull-less version for use in the food industry, to provide additional
whole grain options to individuals with coeliac and those who suffer
from gluten intolerance. The hordein levels in these Kebari lines are
well below the legislative limit of 20 ppm in gluten-free food. Kebari
may be useful for the preparation of foods and beverages for the
estimated 5% of people in the world who have coeliac disease or
non-coeliac gluten sensitivity.
Crispin completed his Ph.D. degree at the Australian National
University, studying respiratory pathways and photorespiration in
cyanobacteria and the chloroplasts of higher plants. His first
postdoctoral fellowship was at Arizona State University, where he
studied the interaction of respiration in photosynthesis in
cyanobacteria. In 2000 he moved to CSIRO in Canberra, Australia, for a
second postdoctoral fellowship using gene technology to modify starch
structure and function in the model plant Arabidopsis. At the end
of 2002 he moved into the area of cereal quality within the same group.
Since then he has had a diverse range of interests: carotenoid
biosynthesis in cereal grains, how manipulation of protein content and
composition impacts end-product functionality, the genetics of
end-product quality in wheat and modification of grain composition for
health benefits. Within this period he has held the positions of team,
group and stream leader and is currently the team leader for cereal
proteins and fiber within the Cereal Quality Group at CSIRO.
