High-amylose wheat in food

The High Amylose Wheat Joint Venture, a $12.5 million partnership, will conduct research and development into high-amylose (resistant starch) wheat from core technology developed by CSIRO Plant Industry and Biogemma (Limagrain's Biotech subsidiary). The GRDC is providing expertise in relation to the Australian and international grains industries.

The focus will be on delivering new wheat varieties with high levels of amylose and the development of commercial relationships to take products through to market.

The director of the Food Futures Flagship, Dr Bruce Lee, says the partnership holds exceptional promise for the development of new healthy wheats and wheat-based foods.

"High amylose wheat can be incorporated as wholegrain into breads, cereals and other foods and will have a high level of resistant starch, a low glycaemic index and deliver benefits for bowel health. These properties give the grain the potential to be useful in tackling the problems of type II diabetes, the prevention of colorectal cancer and obesity," he says.

Earlier this year CSIRO reported the development of the first of the new wheats, with amylose levels increased from about 25 to 70 per cent.

GRDC Chairman, Terry Enright, says the development of high-amylose wheat varieties will also be good for farmers.

"New value-added varieties will provide the grains industry with the opportunity to move from commodity supplies in the global market to differentiated high value areas in both domestic and foreign markets," Mr Enright says.

The Gene Difference
Researchers working within the Food Futures Flagship used CSIRO-developed RNAi gene silencing techniques to suppress the expression of two wheat genes, SBEIIa and SBEIIb, in an experimental wheat. These genes encode for starch branching enzymes and are key genes in the starch synthesis pathway. The resulting wheats have a significantly altered amylose content increasing from about 25 to 70 per cent.

The Gene Technology Fast Track
The use of gene technology has proved exceptionally useful in defining the genetic changes in wheat that are required to generate this new type of wheat. With this new knowledge, the project team is also able to breed the wheat using conventional methods.

View the Fact Sheet Partnership Gives New Wheats A Healthy Future at http://www.csiro.au/files/files/pahk.pdf

Left to right: Dr David Topping, Senior Scientist, Food Futures Flagship, Mr Peter Reading, Managing Director Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), Mr Terry Enright, Chairman GRDC, Mr  Vince Logan, GRDC, Dr Matthew Morell, Theme Leader, Food Futures Flagship, Dr Pierre Lacaze, Business Development Manager, Limagrain, Dr Alain Perrin, Corporate Scientific Vice President, Limagrain, Dr Jeremy Burdon, Chief, CSIRO Plant Industry and Dr Bruce Lee, Director, Food Futures Flagship at the announcement of the High Amylose Wheat Joint Venture.