Global Institute for Food Security

Wheat contributes 19% of protein in the global human diet. Mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIR) combined with attenuated total reflection (ATR) is an excellent analytical method for assessing the chemical composition of complex biological samples. In contrast to established techniques used for wheat protein analysis, we show that by using ATR-MIR the protein secondary structures of different fractions can be studied. We found that albumin and globulin fractions were primarily composed of α-helix, with proportions of 57.8% and 45.9%, respectively. Gliadins, meanwhile, contained 38.3% β-turn and 36.9% α-helix, while glutenins predominantly exhibited 44.8% β-turn secondary structures. In addition, we found that by using analysis of variance (ANOVA) simultaneous component analysis (ASCA), the obtained MIR spectra of the wheat protein fractions were significantly (p < 0.001) affected by the sampling sites and variety. Quantification of the protein content of each sample through the amide II band also revealed significant differences (p < 0.001) across the sampling sites in the different protein fractions. The found concentration range of protein fractions within the wheat samples were as follows: 1.7-3.6, 0.4-2.4, 4.0-5.4, and 0.8-4.8 g/100 g of albumins, globulins, gliadins, and glutenins, respectively. In conclusion, this study shows that ATR-MIR has an immense potential for wheat proteome analysis.

Human activities continue to facilitate biological invasions, profoundly impacting our environment and economy. Plants and insects constitute the majority of invasions to date, with facilitative links established between them, particularly in terrestrial habitats. These relationships remain understudied in aquatic environments, including potential associations between aquatic invasive plants and disease vectors such as mosquitoes. Here, we synthesise current knowledge on the co‐occurrence of aquatic invasive plants and mosquitoes, identify key research gaps and present a conceptual framework underpinned by testable hypotheses on how aquatic invasive plants may influence immature and adult mosquito populations. We provide evidence suggesting that these plant‐mosquito relationships could pose previously unrecognised risks and highlight priority areas for future research to better understand the potential public health implications of aquatic plant invasions. We call for targeted in situ and ex situ investigations to test the proposed hypotheses and increase our understanding of the interactions between aquatic invasive plants and mosquito population dynamics. Testing these hypotheses will inform adaptive, evidence‐based management strategies to simultaneously control aquatic invasive species and vector mosquitoes.