Globally, cereal grains account for about a third of human calorie intake, either directly as cereal based foods (e.g. rice, maize, bread) or indirectly as meat and dairy products from animals raised on cereal fodder. Rising populations combined with increasing demands on agricultural land make it increasingly important to produce cereal crops that are resistant to pathogens and effective at utilising soil nutrients for growth. Grain must have desirable nutritional properties, whether as human food or as animal feed. The malting and baking industries have particular requirements for grain quality. The quality of cereal grains is determined to a large extent by the proteins that carry out most of the chemical reactions in cells. In a range of projects we use proteome analysis, which can separate and identify proteins in complex mixtures, to find out which of the thousands of different proteins in cereal grains might be important for grain quality. This data are integrated with gene expression analysis and tissue-specific studies. Candidate proteins are then chosen for functional and structural studies. The aim is to provide new targets for breeding of cereal crops with improved quality.

For detailed project information, please contact Professor Birte Svensson () or Associate Professor Christine Finnie ().