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The cell wall polymers in cereal grains have attracted investigation on several fronts: for their nutritional benefits (dietary fibres), their adverse effects on the digestive health of certain livestock, and their effects on wheat grain workability.

Mannans are polysaccharides (complex carbohydrates) found in plant walls, but they have been under-researched in wheat endosperm. In some plants, they accumulate in storage organs (an example is galactomannans in guar seeds).

The structure of mannans influences their properties (solubility, water absorption, gelling). Mannan content and structure vary across different plant biomasses. The mannans found in cereal grains had never before been isolated or studied.

The EU-funded MANAN project set out to elucidate the structure and biosynthesis of mannan in wheat and its role in grain development.