Award details

Carbohydrate biotechnology network for grain legumes

Reference	BBS/E/J/00001115
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Clifford Hedley
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	John Innes Centre
Department	John Innes Centre Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	43,567
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/1997
End date	31/01/2000
Duration	34 months

Abstract

The EU COPERNICUS concerted action programme (CABINET) brings together participants from Western and Eastern Europe, including the States of the Former Soviet Union, representing a wide range of disciplines to discuss and formulate strategies for improving the carbohydrate fraction of grain legume seeds. The overall aim of the project is theirto develop strategies for improving the quality of carbohydrates in legume seeds from both a nutritional and agricultural point of view. To achieve this aim, the project is sub-divided into a number of specific objectives. 1. To collate information on the composition of the starch, soluble carbohydrate and fibre fractions of grain legume seeds and to highlight problems with their chemical determination. 2. To identify and characterise those carbohydrates which act as anti-nutritional factors and should be reduced within the diet and those that act in a positive way for improving health and should be enhanced in the diet. 3. To identify and characterise those carbohydrates which play a beneficial role in plant development, in particular in protecting plants and seeds from temperature stress and desiccation. 4. To utilise biotechnology expertise to develop strategies for genetically manipulating the pathways leading to the synthesis of the carbohydrates and to integrate these with breeding programmes. 5. To develop strategies for breeding grain legumes which maximise the positive roles of carbohydrates within the plant, while minimising their anti- nutritional characteristics. 6. To identify processing techniques which reduce the anti-nutritional effects of the carbohydrates, while having a minimal effect on other components of nutritional quality such as metabolisable energy. Within the programme each of these specific objectives is represented as a Task, each Task relating to a broad area of carbohydrate research: Task 1 several analytical chemistry: Task 2 several nutrition: Task 3 several plant physiology: Task 4 several biotechnology: Task 5 several breeding and Task 6 several processing. Each Task is the responsibility of a group of Partners and is led by a Task Co-ordinator. Partners in three of the Tasks (biotechnology, breeding and processing) relate to approaches that can be used to modify the carbohydrates. Partners in Task 2 (nutrition) are responsible for identifying which carbohydrates should be increased or reduced in the diet. Partners in Task 3 (plant physiology) are responsible for determining the consequences of modifying carbohydrates on plant growth and development, and on the plants ability to withstand abiotic stress. Partners in Task 1 (chemistry) are responsible for determining methods for analysing the various carbohydrates, which are relevant to the needs of the other groups.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Agri-food (AF)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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