b'"If you think about the functionality of the food system, it\'s not just about producing food," she states. "It\'s a whole chainfrom pre-breeding all the way to human healthand that system must function well. This study is a good example of work that connects those pieces."Science Moves Faster When SectorsWork TogetherEveryone involved in this project points to team-work as the reason it is moving forward.For the Celiac Disease Foundation, collabora-tion is central. Geller says the foundation has been "thrilled to be at the table" with other entities that recognize the importance of the work. She praises the UC Davis team for driving strong results for an early-stage project, crediting them for what they have done in a short period with few research dollars.Jorge Dubcosky and Maria Rottersman stand beside a specialized plot combine used to harvest experimental wheat lines at UC Davis. The equipment allows Inside the lab, the project brought Rottersmanresearchers to collect and process grain from small-plot trials for quality and into conversations with experts far beyond herperformance testing.PHOTO: MARIA ROTTERSMANdiscipline. She says the work connected her with gastroenterologists and immunologists that she wouldn\'t have met otherwise, expanding the scopeQUICK FACTS ON CELIAC DISEASE AND GLUTEN-RELATED DISORDERSof the research.FFAR invests in research with long-term, practi-Prevalence of celiac disease (CeD):cal impact, actively evaluating a project\'s col-I n the U.S., about 1 in 133 peopleroughly 1% of the populationis estimated to have celiac laborative frameworkwho is involved, how theydisease.will contribute, and whether the work positions A large U.S. screening study found a prevalence of 0.71% (1 in 141) among those aged six and older;everyone for success. among non-Hispanic caucasians, it was about 1.01%. "Research does not happen in a vacuum," GewaGlobally, serologic studies suggest around 1.4% of people have CeD; biopsy-confirmed estimates says. "Research needs money, research needsare closer to 0.7%. ideas, research needs partners and stakeholders in place." Undiagnosed cases:Up to 80 % or more of people with celiac disease may be undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. From Public Germplasm toT he celiac iceberg concept: many people have CeD but remain below the diagnostic radar. Commercial Fields Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS):The edited lines are still experimental, but inter- Estimates for NCGS vary widely, from around 1% to as high as 13% of the population. est is growing. Rottersman says artisanal bakers, S ome reviews suggest up to 6% of Americans may have non-celiac gluten sensitivity. millers, and farm-to-fork operations are already asking about the work. UC Davis breeders are nowHealth implications of celiac disease:moving the deletion into a commercial California I ngesting gluten in people with CeD triggers an autoimmune reaction that damages the small wheat variety called Central Red, an early stepintestine, leading to nutrient mal-absorption, anemia, bone loss, infertility or reduced fertility, and toward wider use. The germplasm is alreadyother autoimmune disorders. public, and Rottersman understands that theDiagnosis delays are common: in many cases people wait 6-10 years to receive correct diagnosis. move toward commercialization is close.For stakeholders like Geller, the fast progress atTrends and opportunity for innovation:UC Davis is encouraging. But they also know that I ncidence of diagnosed CeD is increasing: e.g., one study found pediatric incidence of 21.3 per turning early discoveries into real-world change100,000 person-years vs adult 12.9 per 100,000, with annual increase of ~7.5%. takes time. With the prevalence and impact of gluten-related disorders known, innovations such as the edited "Progress is always incrementalone stepwheat lines from UC Davis take on additional relevance for health, agriculture and food-system forward, two steps back sometimes, she says. "Butstakeholders.that\'s why we exist. Our job is to keep the opti- Sources: Beyond Celiac, Celiac Disease Foundation, UC Davis, PubMed, Institute for Functional Medicinemism alive, to invest in the science and to show ourand Dr. Schr Institutepatients what\'s possible."SWJANUARY 2026SEEDWORLD.COM /39'