gluten

[21kaboller]

hello, i am doing my science fair project over celiac disease. ive come up with the idea to see if food labeled gluten free is actually 100% gluten free. unfortunately i am unable to buy the tests that are online and i was wondering if there is a common chemical that my high school teacher would have that would react to the gluten and cause some sort of reaction like color change.

[clur_v]

Hello! That is an interesting question, that seems to be a common concern for people who are sensitive to gluten. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be a common chemical that can sense gluten — many of the gluten sensors online seem to use specialized antibodies (which are types of chemicals that can be found in the body) that they produce for industrial purposes. That won't be found in high school labs (or many labs in general for that matter).

Perhaps you could find some inspiration in the project ideas/project guide section of the website for types of chemistry experiments that could be completed in high school labs.

Good luck! Claire