<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> We are very pleased to report that Donald Kasarda, PhD, a cereal chemist who has contributed much of his career to research on grains and their relation to celiac disease, was recently awarded the United Kingdom's Rank Prize for Nutrition, in ceremonies held at the Royal Society of Medicine in London. Dr. Kasarda was praised for his contributions to understanding the structure of wheat proteins, or parts of these proteins called peptides, in relation to their ability to trigger celiac disease in susceptible individuals. While prizes have been awarded previously to researchers who have studied gluten-containing grains, this is the first time studies related to celiac disease were so honored. Dr. Kasarda has worked on projects related to celiac disease for nearly 25 years at the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) at the Western Regional Research Center in Albany California. He is responsible for introducing plant taxonomic classifications in combination with protein sequences as a guide to the toxicity of grains. This breakthrough made it possible to determine with relative certainty which grains might be toxic and which would be safe. Others have recognized his pionering contributions and he has become a world expert on grains and their relation to celiac disease. Without his work and his steady dedication to this specialized area, celiacs in this country would still be floundering in a sea of undocumented misinformation. We celiacs are indebted to Dr. Kasarda for guidance that helps us understand grain protein composition and food chemistry in relation to a safe diet. Therefore we were extremely pleased to report his award, but at the same time, extremely upset to report the following: In a distressing coincidence, recognition of Dr. Kasarda's achievements comes at a time when funding for the group at the USDA/ARS Western Regional Research Center that is sponsoring his work has been cut from the proposed federal budget for 2003. After his recent retirement, Dr. Kasarda retained an office and laboratory space as a Collaborator sponsored by a project called "Molecular Analysis of Environmental Effects on Wheat Grain Development, Productivity and Quality." If the proposed budget goes into effect, this project will be terminated on September 31, 2002. Termination of the project will not only greatly diminish the possibilities for Dr. Kasarda to continue to contribute to celiac disease research, but it will also remove any possibility for new research concerning grains and their relation to celiac disease that might be proposed and funded by the Molecular Analysis Group at the Albany location. So we urge celiacs across the country to join us in a letter-writing campaign to key legislators asking them to oppose the cuts in funding to the USDA/ARS Western Regional Research Center. The most important people to contact are the chairpersons and members of the agricultural appropriations subcommittees that oversee the USDA Agricultural Research Service. You can also write to the chairs of the appropriations committees in the Senate and House. And, of course, you can contact your senator or local congressperson. The most important are those on the agricultural appropriations subcommittees in the Senate and House. They are found at http://www.senate.gov/committees/index.cfm and http://www.house.gov/appropriations/ Ann Whelan <[log in to unmask]> Gluten-Free Living *Support summarization of posts, reply to the SENDER not the CELIAC List*