Daily Archives: February 28, 2021

A focus on health promotion and disease prevention has emerged as not just a temporary movement over the past year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also as a permanent shift in long-term wellness and nutrition.A number of consumers have heightened interest in improving their diets and choosing foods that prevent or treat chronic conditions, including diabetes, obesity, cancer, kidney disease and high blood pressure. Particular attention is being given to natural and organic foods. Associates at your store, or on the regional or corporate level, can help alleviate customer confusion by answering some key questions to improve the shopping experience as customers navigate natural and organic offerings.

The term natural doesnt have a formal definition as it applies to food; instead, theres a long-standing implication in the usage of the term. Natural is meant to mean that nothing synthetic or unnatural has been included in, or added to, a food that wouldnt normally be expected to be in that product. Organic, however, indicates a USDA Certified Organic product that has been produced under approved methods that include certain cultural, biological and mechanical practices. Organic production aims to promote ecological balance and conserve biodiversity. Certain practices arent allowed in organic practice, such as the use of synthetic fertilizers and genetic engineering (Products of this process are known as genetically modified organisms, or GMOs).

Each year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) releases a list of its top 15 fresh conventional (non-organic) produce picks, Clean Fifteen, which contain the lowest amounts of pesticide residues, alongside a list of 12 conventional fresh fruits and vegetables, Dirty Dozen, with the highest amounts of pesticide residues. The EWG encourages consumers to choose fewer foods on the Dirty Dozen list (examples include strawberries, spinach and kale), while being less critical of foods selected for the Clean Fifteen list (examples include avocados, sweet corn, and pineapple). However, the USDA Pesticide Data Program found in 2018 that more than 99% of products it sampled had residues well below safety standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency. The Produce for Better Health Foundation has questioned EWGs motives, noting that arousing unnecessary fear about pesticide use is counterproductive to increasing Americans intake of fruits and vegetables, which is a well-recognized public health concern.

The general consensus is that the healthfulness of natural, organic and conventional products is highly comparable. The health benefits derived from food produced through various agricultural methods makes minimal impact to nutrition. Some studies cite modestly higher amounts of phenolic compounds (beneficial plant compounds) in organic produce, and marginally increased omega-3 fatty acids in dairy, but many other studies come up short on determining a clear difference. Customers may be surprised to learn that much of the attention that eating organic has received regarding its impact on nutrition benefit is largely unfounded.

Its well established that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, low-fat dairy (or fortified soy alternatives) and whole grains is protective to our health. This is more explicitly outlined in Decembers release of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-25.

Natural and organic foods should be framed as a choice to the consumer, perhaps if they feel strongly about avoiding certain characteristics of food, such as some synthetic substances, or in supporting particular food production practices. Natural, organic and conventional foods are all produced safely, and a variety of wholesome choices from any of these agricultural methods can enhance the quality of our diets.

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Sorting Out Natural and Organic - Progressive Grocer

In addition to wheat and peanut, other foods listed in the Big 8 food allergens are milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts and soy.

Wheat consumption can cause celiac disease, a gastrointestinal disease that could grow into an autoimmune disorder. For people with peanut allergies, eating peanuts can cause mild symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing, or hives to severe symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness, or swelling of the tongue or lips. Individuals with peanut allergies generally are allergic to tree nuts and legume lupin. The only effective therapy known for these foodborne disorders is strictly avoiding eating wheat and/or peanut, as well as products containing these foods.

People with food allergies can try to avoid these foods, but accidental exposure to an allergen is possible, he said.

For some people, avoiding wheat and peanuts is not easy due to geographical, cultural or economic reasons. Finding affordable ways to make wheat and peanuts available for all is very important.

During their wheat research, the researchers are focused on a group of proteins called gluten. Glutens are proteins found in grains like wheat, rye and barley. When flour is mixed with water, gluten proteins give flour a glue-like consistency, making the dough elastic and giving bread the ability to rise when baked. Gluten also provides a chewy, satisfying texture.

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Clemson researcher seeks to make peanuts and wheat easier to digest - SCNow

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Global Genetic Engineering Market Research Analysis Including Growth Factors, Types And Application By Regions From 2021 To 2027 Express Keeper -...

BY CLEMSON COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND LIFE SCIENCES

FLORENCE- Peanuts and wheat are nutritional powerhouses but contain protein allergens that can be detrimental for some people. However, a Clemson University researcher thinks that if he can target these proteins, he can breed for safer, low-allergenic varieties.

"Wheat and peanut are primary sources of energy and proteins, specifically to populations in the most populated areas of the world," Sachin Rustgi told scientists during the recent online meeting of the American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America and the Soil Science Society of America. "On the flip side, these crops are listed among the 'Big 8' major food allergens by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration."

Rustgi and his colleagues are using plant breeding and genetic engineering to develop less allergenic varieties of peanuts and wheat. Their goal is to increase options for people with allergies to these foods. His research is conducted at Clemson's Advanced Plant Technology Program housed at the Pee Dee Research and Education Center.

"Our research primarily focuses on the development of genetic resources to breed safe crops for people experiencing these foodborne disorders," said Rustgi, an assistant professor of molecular breeding for the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences.

In addition to wheat and peanut, other foods listed in the Big 8 food allergens are milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts and soy.

Wheat consumption can cause celiac disease, a gastrointestinal disease that could grow into an autoimmune disorder. For people with peanut allergies, eating peanuts can cause mild symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing or hives to severe symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness or swelling of the tongue or lips. Individuals with peanut allergies generally are allergic to tree nuts and legume lupin. The only effective therapy known for these foodborne disorders is strictly avoiding eating wheat and/or peanut, as well as products containing these foods.

"People with food allergies can try to avoid these foods, but accidental exposure to an allergen is possible," he said.

For some people, avoiding wheat and peanuts is not easy because of geographical, cultural or economic reasons. Finding affordable ways to make wheat and peanuts available for all is very important.

During their wheat research, the researchers are focused on a group of proteins, called gluten. Glutens are proteins found in grains like wheat, rye and barley. When flour is mixed with water, gluten proteins give flour a glue-like consistency, making the dough elastic and giving bread the ability to rise when baked. Gluten also provides a chewy, satisfying texture.

The two main protein types in gluten are glutenins and gliadins. Glutenins are responsible for dough strength and elasticity. Gliadins are essential for giving bread the ability to rise and are thought to cause most of the negative health effects. Gluten-degrading enzymes, or glutenases, are needed to break down glutens in foods to make these foods easier for people to digest.

While many people like the taste and texture gluten gives food, this protein complex also causes celiac disease, which, if left unchecked, can lead to an autoimmune disorder. Other people may experience non-celiac wheat sensitivity with myriad intestinal and extra intestinal symptoms.

Plant breeding

Researchers have tried to breed varieties of wheat with lower gluten content. The challenge, in part, lies in the complicated nature of gluten genetics. The information needed to make gluten is embedded in the DNA in wheat cells. To complicate matters even more, gluten isn't a single protein - it's a group of many different proteins. The instructions cells need in order to make the individual gluten proteins are contained within different genes.

In wheat, these gluten genes are distributed throughout a cell's DNA. Because so many portions of the DNA play a role in creating gluten, it is difficult for plant breeders to breed wheat varieties with lower gluten levels.

"When we started this research, a major question was if it would be possible to work on a characteristic controlled by so many genes," Rustgi said.

The situation is similar for peanuts. Peanuts contain 16 different proteins recognized as allergens.

"Not all peanut proteins are equally allergenic," Rustgi said. "Four proteins trigger an allergic reaction in more than half of peanut-sensitive individuals."

Just as the gluten genes in wheat, peanut allergen genes are spread throughout the peanut DNA.

"Targeting this many genes is not an easy task, even with current technology," Rustgi said.

Rustgi and the research team are testing many varieties of wheat and peanuts to find ones that are naturally less allergenic than others. Their hope is these low-allergenic varieties can be bred with crop varieties that have desirable traits, such as high yields or pest resistance. The goal is to develop low-allergenic wheat that can be grown commercially.

Gene editing

In addition to traditional plant breeding efforts, Rustgi also is using gene editing to reduce allergenic proteins in wheat and peanuts. The researchers use CRISPR-Cas12a gene-editing technology to make very precise changes to a cell's DNA. CRISPR is short for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats. Rustgi uses it to target gluten genes in wheat.

Genes targeted by the CRISPR technology are changed or mutated. The cells can no longer "read" these genes and make the specific proteins.

"Disrupting the gluten genes in wheat could yield wheat varieties with significantly lower levels of gluten," Rustgi said. "A similar approach would work in peanuts."

The researchers also are studying to understanding how gluten production is regulated in wheat cells. As it turns out, one protein serves as a "master regulator" for many gluten genes. This is important because disrupting this master regulator could lead to reduced amounts of gluten in wheat. Targeting a single gene is much easier than trying to disrupt the several gluten genes.

Wheat and peanuts are major sources of proteins for many, especially people living in resource-deprived conditions, Rustgi said. Developing wheat and peanut varieties with reduced allergen levels is key to providing safe food sources.

This work is supported by the South Carolina Peanut Board, the National Peanut Board, Life Sciences Discovery Fund and Clemson University. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent official views of the supporting entities.

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Clemson researcher seeks to make peanuts, wheat easier to digest - Sumter Item

In 1989, when she was 34, Kathy Wiltsey appeared headed for one of the top jobs in the biotechnology industry.

That year The Wall Street Journal listed 28 rising stars from around the world, all 45 years old or younger, who could be among the business leaders of tomorrow. Ms. Wiltsey, then marketing director at Amgen Inc., made the list, along with Larry Fink, now chief executive of BlackRock Inc., and Oprah Winfrey.

Instead of soaring into the CEO ranks, Ms. Wiltsey retired from Amgen nine years later, in 1998, the year she turned 43. Her stock options meant she had less need to work, and she wanted to slow down, hang out with her daughters, then ages 5 and 2, and do volunteer work to promote scientific education for children. She hired a bush pilot in Alaska to take her and her daughters to the most remote parts of Denali National Park.

There was another reason for her decision to retire early: Because her mother died of cancer at age 59, she thought her life might be short, too. Her husband, John LaValle, tried to dispel those forebodings.

Read more here:
Biotech Star Checked Out Early From Career at Amgen - The Wall Street Journal

A former NASA engineer from Portree now has a presence on Mars following the successful touchdown last week of the rover Perseverance.

Alexander MacRaes name was inscribed onto the robotic crafts metal frame by the Lifeboat Foundation, a think-tank dedicated to tackling existential risks to humanity such as the misuse of genetic engineering and artificial intelligence. He is a member of its futurist advisory board and had previously been contracted to NASA in the field of micro-electronics and communication, aspects of which were used in Perseverance.

Mr MacRae (86) was born on a croft at Budhmor and was gifted his boarding pass by Eric Klien, chief executive of the Lifeboat Foundation.

One of their main interests is to establish a human colony like Elon Musk is also involved in, he told the Free Press. Perseverances mission is to search for signs of ancient life, and it was a nice gesture for them to engrave my name on it. It was very tense in the last seven minutes, but a great relief that the precision and teamwork paid off.

Perseverance is an upgraded version of the Curiosity rover, which landed on Mars in 2012. One of the engineers who worked on it was Alexander Nicolson Mr MacRaes neighbour in Budhmor.

The former Portree High School pupil moved to Canada to work for Pratt & Whitney designing gas turbine engines. He moved to California, where he still lives, in 2005 to work in NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Regarding his work on Curiosity, Mr Nicolson said: The amount of testing was incredible, we often even had to retest the equipment that was used to test components and assemblies of the rover.

The biggest challenge on something like this is working out what the worst conditions the rover might have to overcome will be, in terms of the temperatures and forces it is likely to meet.

They are such big projects though. Overall it takes roughly 2,000 staff, hundreds of supplier companies and many thousands of tests in chambers designed to represent the conditions in space.

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Mars mission with a connection to Skye West Highland Free Press http://www.whfp.com - West Highland Free Press