KNOXVILLE — Edible vaccines and plants bred not to provoke allergic reactions are on the agenda for an upcoming University of Tennessee conference on human health and plant science.
The UT Center for Legume Research and the UT Nutrition Institute are cosponsoring “Plants, Nutrition and Human Health” Oct. 10-13 at the UT Conference Center.
Researchers in molecular biology, plant breeding, nutrition, epidemiology and immunology are expected to attend.
Dr. William Langridge of Loma Linda University will discuss his research into preventing juvenile diabetes using edible vaccines, and Dr. Liz Richter of Cornell University will make a presentation on an edible vaccine to combat hepatitis B.
A University of California researcher, Dr. Bob Buchanan, will speak on the development of plants that do not trigger allergic reactions.
The meeting, the ninth annual Gatlinburg Conference sponsored by the Center for Legume Research, highlights research efforts on beans, soybeans, peas, alfalfa and other legumes that serve as human food. The center is joined by the UT Nutrition Institute, an organization designed to bring together faculty and students from a variety of disciplines to do research on nutrition.
Information is available from UT Conferences, 600 Henley St., Suite 212, Knoxville, Tenn. 37996, or http://www.bio.utk.edu/microbio/gatlinburg/gat1999.htm.