I completed my PhD on the role of low molecular weight glutenin subunits in durum wheat gluten functional properties in 2001, at University of Bristol (UK), under the supervision of Prof Peter Shewry and Prof Johnathan Napier.
Following this, I worked for 12 years, initially as a post-doctoral researcher and then as a senior researcher, at Rothamsted Research carrying out research aimed at understanding various aspects of wheat processing quality, such as the biochemical basis for grain hardness and the relationship between the patterns of deposition and distribution of gluten protein within the endosperm and gluten quality.During this time I supervised four PhD students to completion.
I have been a Senior Research Fellow in the Crop Production division of the School of Agriculture, Policy and Development and an associate of the University of Reading Centre for Food Security since 2013.
Paola Tosi

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+44 (0) 118 378 8119
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Associate Professor
Areas of interest
Cereals play a central role in human nutrition, with wheat and rice currently providing more than 50% of the energy and over 40 % of the protein to the global food supply. Cereals also play an important role in human health, contributing up to 50% of the total dietary fiber to western diets mainly in the form of cell wall polysaccharides which account for ~2% of the dry weight of white wheat flour or polished rice grain but up to 20% of whole grain.
My main research interests focus on the deposition of storage compounds in cereals, particularly wheat, combining research into grain development and endosperm storage organelles biogenesis with the biochemistry of ripening and grain processing quality. Wheat is the most important food crop in Europe and the development of wheat genotypes with improved quality and stability, able to perform well also in the increasing challenging environments predicted by climate change, requires a deep understanding of the mechanisms controlling the processing, trafficking and deposition of endosperm storage compounds and of how these mechanisms are influenced by genotype and environment. < p/>
A large part of my research effort has aimed at understanding the deposition kinetics of storage proteins (Tosi et al 2009; Tosi et al 2011., Oszvald et al 2014) and of cell wall components (Pellny et al 2011; Shewry et al 2012; Lovegrove et al 2013) how this relates to the development and differentiation of the various grain tissues and to the amount, distribution and chemical characteristics (particularly polymerizing behavior) of gluten protein and cell wall polysaccharides in the mature grains (He et al., 2013).
Increasingly the emphasis of my research is on how environmental effects (biotic and abiotic stresses, crop nutritional inputs) impact on final grain yield, grain processing quality and nutritional characteristics.
Publications
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Lovegrove, J.
ORCID: 0000-0001-7633-9455 , O'Sullivan, D.
ORCID: 0000-0003-4889-056X , Tosi, P. , Millan, E.
ORCID: 0000-0002-2421-2855 , Todman, L. , Bishop, J.
ORCID: 0000-0003-2114-230X , Chatzifragkou, A.
ORCID: 0000-0002-9255-7871 , Clegg, M. , Hammond, J.
ORCID: 0000-0002-6241-3551 , Jackson, K.
ORCID: 0000-0002-0070-3203 , Jones, P.
ORCID: 0000-0003-3464-5424 , Lignou, S.
ORCID: 0000-0001-6971-2258 , Macready, A.
ORCID: 0000-0003-0368-9336 , McMeel, Y. , Parker, J.
ORCID: 0000-0003-4121-5481 , Rodriguez-Garcia, J.
ORCID: 0000-0002-4986-3144 , Sharp, P. , Shaw, L. , Smith, L.
ORCID: 0000-0002-9898-9288 , Tebbit, M. (2023) 'Raising the pulse': the environmental, nutritional and health benefits of pulse-enhanced foods. Nutrition Bulletin , 48 (1). pp. 134-143. ISSN: 1471-9827 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nbu.12601
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Warsame, A.
ORCID: 0000-0002-9281-0443 , Michael, N. , O'Sullivan, D.
ORCID: 0000-0003-4889-056X , Tosi, P. (2022) Seed development and protein accumulation patterns in faba bean (Vicia faba, L.). Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry , 70 (30). pp. 9295-9304. ISSN: 0021-8561 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.2c02061
- González-Thuillier, I. , Pellny, T. , Tosi, P. , Mitchell a, R. , Haslam, R. , Shewry, P. (2021) Accumulation and deposition of triacylglycerols in the starchy endosperm of wheat grain. Journal of Cereal Science , 98 ISSN: 0733-5210 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcs.2021.103167
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Warsame, A.
ORCID: 0000-0002-9281-0443 , Michael, N. , O'Sullivan, D.
ORCID: 0000-0003-4889-056X , Tosi, P. (2020) Identification and quantification of major faba bean seed proteins. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry , 68 (32). pp. 8535-8544. ISSN: 1520-5118 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.0c02927
- Lovegrove, A. , Wood, A. , Hassall, K. , Howes, L. , Poole, M. , Tosi, P. , Shewry, P. (2020) The contribution of fibre components to water absorption of wheat grown in the UK. Cereal Chemistry , 97 (5). pp. 940-948. ISSN: 0009-0352 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cche.10316
- Tosi, P. , Hidalgo, A. , Lullien-Pellerin, V. (2020) The impact of processing on potentially beneficial wheat grain components for human health. In: Igresias, G. , Ikeda, T. , Guzmán, C. , (eds.) Wheat Quality for Improving Processing and Human Health. Springer pp. 387-420. ISBN: 9783030341626 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34163-3_17
- Kino, R. , Pellny, T. , Mitchell, R. , Gonzalez-Uriarte, A. , Tosi, P. (2020) High post-anthesis temperature effects on 3 bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain 4 transcriptome during early grain-filling. BMC Plant Biology , 20 ISSN: 1471-2229 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12870-020-02375-7
- Croall, I. , Aziz, I. , Trott, N. , Tosi, P. , Hoggard, N. , Sanders, D. (2019) Gluten does not induce gastrointestinal symptoms in healthy volunteers; a double blind randomised placebo trial. Gastroenterology , 57 (3). pp. 881-883. ISSN: 0016-5085 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2019.05.015
- Warsame, A. , O'Sullivan, D. , Tosi, P. (2018) Seed storage proteins of faba bean (Vicia faba L): current status and prospects for genetic improvement. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry , 66 (48). pp. 12617-12626. ISSN: 0021-8561 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.8b04992
- Tosi, P. , He, J. , Lovegrove, A. , Gonzáles-Thuillier, I. , Penson, S. , Shewry, P. (2018) Gradients in compositions in the starchy endosperm of wheat have implications for milling and processing. Trends in Food Science & Technology , 82 pp. 1-7. ISSN: 0924-2244 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2018.09.027
- Sofi, F. , Dinu, M. , Pagliai, G. , Cei, L. , Sacchi, G. , Benedettelli, S. , Stefani, G. , Gagliardi, E. , Tosi, P. , Bocci, R. , Bussi, B. , de Santis, G. , Rodriguez Y Hurtado, I. , de Kochko, P. , Riviere, P. , Carrascosa-García, M. , Martínez, I. (2018) Health and nutrition studies related to cereal biodiversity: a participatory multi-actor literature review approach. Nutrients , 10 (9). pp 0. ISSN: 2072-6643 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu10091207
- Rej, A. , Kurien, M. , Tosi, P. , Trott, N. , Sanders, D. (2018) The role of a gluten free diet in ‘lifestylers’? The first double blind randomised study.
- Savill, G. , Michalski, A. , Powers, S. , Wan, Y. , Tosi, P. , Buchner, P. , Hawkesford, M. (2018) Temperature and nitrogen supply interact to determine protein distribution gradients in the wheat grain endosperm. Journal of Experimental Botany , 69 (12). pp. 3117-3126. ISSN: 0022-0957 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jxb/ery127
- Salt, L. , Gonzalez-Thuillier, I. , Chope, G. , Penson, S. , Tosi, P. , Haslam, R. , Skeggs, P. , Shewry, P. , Wilde, P. (2018) Intrinsic wheat lipid composition effects the interfacial and foaming properties of dough liquor. Food Hydrocolloids , 75 pp. 211-222. ISSN: 0268-005X | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2017.08.020
- Wilkinson, M. , Tosi, P. , Lovegrove, A. , Corol, D. , Ward, J. , Palmer, R. , Powers, S. , Passmore, D. , Webster, G. , Marcus, S. , Knox, J. , Shewry, P. (2017) The Gsp-1 genes encode the 1 wheat arabinogalactan peptide. Journal of Cereal Science , 74 pp. 155-164. ISSN: 0733-5210 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcs.2017.02.006
- Moore, K. , Tosi, P. , Palmer, R. , Hawkesford, M. , Grovenor, C. , Shewry, P. (2016) The dynamics of protein body formation in developing wheat grain. Plant Biotechnology Journal , 14 (9). ISSN: 1467-7652 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/pbi.12549
- Koga, S. , Bocker, U. , Moldestad, A. , Tosi, P. , Shewry, P. , Mosleth, E. , Uhlen, A. (2016) Influence of temperature during grain filling on gluten viscoelastic properties and gluten protein composition. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture , 96 (1). pp. 122-130. ISSN: 0022-5142 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.7068
- Gonzalez-Thuillier, I. , Salt, L. , Chope, G. , Penson, S. , Skeggs, P. , Tosi, P. , Powers, S. , Ward, J. , Wilde, P. , Shewry, P. , Haslam, R. (2015) Distribution of lipids in the grain of wheat (cv Hereward) determined by lipidomic analysis of milling and pearling fractions. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry , 63 (49). pp. 10705-10716. ISSN: 0021-8561 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5b05289
- Koga, S. , Böcker, U. , Moldestad, A. , Tosi, P. , Shewry, P. , Mosleth, E. , Uhlen, A. (2015) Influence of temperature on the composition and polymerization of gluten proteins during grain filling in spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Journal of Cereal Science , 65 pp. 1-8. ISSN: 0733-5210 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcs.2015.05.012
- Palmer, R. , Cornault, V. , Marcus, S. , Knox, J. , Shewry, P. , Tosi, P. (2015) Comparative in situ analyses of cell wall matrix polysaccharide dynamics in developing rice and wheat grain. Planta , 241 (3). pp. 669-685. ISSN: 0032-0935 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00425-014-2201-4
- Oszvald, M. , Tamas, L. , Shewry, P. , Tosi, P. (2014) The trafficking pathway of a wheat storage protein in transgenic rice endosperm. Annals of Botany , 113 (5). pp. 807-815. ISSN: 0305-7364 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcu008
- He, J. , Penson, S. , Powers, S. , Hawes, C. , Shewry, P. , Tosi, P. (2013) Spatial patterns of gluten protein and polymer distribution in wheat grain. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry , 61 (26). pp. 6207-6215. ISSN: 1520-5118 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jf401623d
- Lovegrove, A. , Wilkinson, M. , Freeman, J. , Pellny, T. , Tosi, P. , Saulnier, L. , Shewry, P. , Mitchell, R. (2013) RNA interference suppression of genes in glycosyl transferase families 43 and 47 in wheat starchy endosperm causes large decreases in arabinoxylan content. Plant Physiology , 163 (1). pp. 95-107. ISSN: 0032-0889 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1104/pp.113.222653
- Pellny, T. , Lovegrove, A. , Freeman, J. , Tosi, P. , Love, C. , Knox, J. , Shewry, P. , Mitchell, R. (2012) Cell walls of developing wheat starchy endosperm: comparison of composition and RNA-Seq transcriptome. Plant Physiology , 158 (2). pp. 612-627. ISSN: 0032-0889 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1104/pp.111.189191
- Gil-Humanes, J. , Pistón, F. , Shewry, P. , Tosi, P. , Barro, F. (2011) Suppression of gliadins results in altered protein body morphology in wheat. Journal of Experimental Botany , 62 (12). pp. 4203-4213. ISSN: 0022-0957 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jxb/err119
- Tosi, P. , Gritsch, C. , He, J. , Shewry, P. (2011) Distribution of gluten proteins in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) grain. Annals of botany , 108 (1). pp. 23-35. ISSN: 1095-8290 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcr098
- Tosi, P. , Parker, M. , Gritsch, C. , Carzaniga, R. , Martin, B. , Shewry, P. (2009) Trafficking of storage proteins in developing grain of wheat. Journal of Experimental Botany , 60 (3). pp. 979-991. ISSN: 0022-0957 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jxb/ern346
- Wiley, P. , Tosi, P. , Evrard, A. , Lovegrove, A. , Jones, H. , Shewry, P. (2007) Promoter analysis and immunolocalisation show that puroindoline genes are exclusively expressed in starchy endosperm cells of wheat grain. Plant molecular biology , 64 (1-2). pp. 125-136. ISSN: 0167-4412 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11103-007-9139-x
- Tosi, P. , D'Ovidio, R. , Napier, J. , Bekes, F. , Shewry, P. (2004) Expression of epitope-tagged LMW glutenin subunits in the starchy endosperm of transgenic wheat and their incorporation into glutenin polymers. Theoretical and Applied Genetics , 108 (3). pp. 468-476. ISSN: 1432-2242 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00122-003-1459-x