Webinar: Insect Allergy Research Update

Insect Allergy Research Update

Tuesday 13th July 2021 from 12.30 - 1.30pm (AEST)

Overview:

Insects have been consumed by people for millennia and have recently been proposed as a complementary, sustainable source of protein to feed the world’s growing population. Insects and crustaceans both belong to the arthropod family. Crustacean (shellfish) allergies are common and potentially severe; hence, the cross-reactivity of the immune system with insect proteins is a potential health concern. As part of a joint research effort between CSIRO, A*STAR and Edith Cowan University (and supported by DISER), mass spectrometry and computational tools were used to explore the proteins found in cricket products from two commercial vendors. Within the resulting data, 20 putative allergens were identified. Further investigation using sera from a cohort of shellfish allergic individuals, demonstrated the presence of IgE antibodies that had the ability to interact with cricket proteins. This work highlights the importance of thorough testing of emerging foods and supports the continued use of current food safety labelling regarding shellfish allergic individuals.

Speaker: James A. Broadbent, CSIRO

James A. Broadbent leads the Applied Proteomics Team within CSIRO’s Agriculture and Food Business Unit. The team focus on food safety and production, investigating livestock production and processing challenges; sources of non-traditional dietary gluten; proteome-informed grain breeding; and, allergen detection and quantification in emerging foods. Within this scope, James’ specific focus is on grain trait prediction using machine learning and proteome measurements from genetic diversity panels. Prior to joining CSIRO in 2018, James was Senior Field Applications Chemist for the premium mass spectrometer vendor SCIEX (2016-2018) where he worked across food, forensics, pathology, research, and environment applications in Australia, New Zealand and abroad. He joined SCIEX with four years of post-doc and project leader experience (2012-2015) within the Wound Management Innovation CRC, following award of his PhD in 2011 from Queensland University of Technology.