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List,

here is another response I received re biotech and wheat.

I don't think Steve will object to me sharing this lovely, long, and
detailed answer with the list.

        To answer your question; yes, scientists are attempting to develop
wheat and other cereal grains that would be safe for celiacs to eat. I don't
know the scientists personally, or their names off hand, but I know that
there are groups in Europe working specifically on locating genes for the
offending proteins so that they can eliminate them, or turn them off.

        If the plant doesn't have the gene, it won't make the protein. This
could be accomplished through slowly painstakingly breeding grains to
develop varieties without the genes. This would be very difficult and slow,
although new techniques would make screening new varieties faster . The
other approach is to use DNA technology. To explain how, you must consider
how proteins are made.  DNA is used as a template to produce proteins. If
this template can be modified in some way, the function of the gene, and
therefore the resulting  protein can be changed. In a case like this, it
would be best to simply (sorry, nothing is simple) turn this gene off
permanently. This can be done by disrupting the ends of the gene that
control when it is active or by inserting an antisense sequence. I won't get
into the details of that because I don't fully understand it. In either
case, there is really nothing new being produced in the plant,  just
something not being produced, making it safe for celiacs.

        Now, I won't get into the politics of whether manipulating genes
in this way is a good thing to do or not. The big advantage this
approach has is that it is faster and more specific in changing the
genetic make-up of the plant. Finding a gluten free wheat using
traditional breeding methods could take a very long time. DNA technology
would be used to direct changes to a very specific site in the genes and
do it much quicker.  However, there is a question of if it would be
effective. There is still a concern of contamination. If a farmer who
has been producing wheat in his/her fields switches to a new "gluten
free" variety, the wheat that grows in that field could not be
considered gluten free for the next several years . There would be a
carry over of seeds from one year to the next, so that each crop would
be contaminated by some seeds from the previous year.  This problem
would slowly decrease.

        Another problem is the grain handling system, which could result in
grain from gluten containing grains being mixed with gluten free grains at
the grain elevators where the farmers deliver their grain. Until all the
varieties of grain grown could be replaced with gluten free grains this
would remain as a possible source of contamination.  This is just to
illustrate that the replacement of gluten containing grains with gluten free
varieties is not a simple or foolproof task.

        A final issue you might want to consider is labelling. Labelling is
at the centre of most of the fears people have about biotechnology, and at
the centre of most of the problems celiac have. People fear biotechnology
because they fear that the food producers won't tell them exactly what
they're getting. Celiacs already experience that problem, and as modified
plants become more available that could get worse.

        I hope this has been helpful.

Steve Schroeder
Barley & Malt Research Chemist
Canadian Grain Commission
Grain Research Laboratory
1370-303 Main St.
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 3G8
Tel. (204) 984-2497
Fax (204) 983-0724
email: [log in to unmask]