The prize was awarded to the research of Prof. George Dobkowski from the University of California conducted in collaboration with Prof. Zion Fahima and Dr. Assaf Distelfeld from the University
The US Department of Agriculture's Discovery of the Year Award was awarded this week to a joint study by researchers from the University of California and the University of Haifa. The award was given to the research of Prof. George Dobkowski from the University of California conducted in collaboration with Prof. Zion Fahima and Dr. Assaf Distelfeld from the University, in which the nutritional quality of wheat was improved by genetic means.
"20% of the calories consumed in the world come from wheat products, such as bread and pasta. The research offers a solution to nutritional problems that affect hundreds of millions of children around the world whose diet is low in proteins and minerals," said Gale Buchanan, who is responsible for research, education and economics at the ministry.
In a study funded by the Israel-USA Binational Fund for Agricultural Research (BARD Fund) which operates in cooperation between the Israeli and US Ministries of Agriculture, Prof. Dobkowski, Prof. Fahima, and Dr. Distelfeld succeeded in discovering and cloning a gene originating from wild wheat from Israel which improves the content of proteins, zinc and iron in the wheat grains and shortens the ripening time of the grains also in cultivated wheat. The researchers even found that the specific gene they discovered in wild wheat is absent from all cultivated wheat varieties in the world that are used for the commercial production of all types of pasta, breads and pastries.
Prof. Fahima estimated that in the domestication process of wheat, the gene was lost, therefore products based on improved wheat varieties will have a higher nutritional value. Until this discovery, the wheat improvement process could have taken many years. However, deciphering the sequence of the gene and its function will allow it to be quickly and efficiently transferred to cultivated varieties through methods of genetic engineering. In addition to this, it will be possible to engineer new genetic forms of the gene that will allow further improvement of the wheat through genetic engineering and its adaptation to different growing areas. An article summarizing the results of the research was published in the prestigious scientific magazine SCIENCE. This discovery is undoubtedly a significant step towards the realization of the 100-year vision of Aharon Aharonson who discovered wild wheat ("the mother of wheat") in Israel.
