Dr. Akhunov was invited to speak at From Seed to Pasta 5 in Bari, Italy, on September 26, 2025. His talk, “Landscape of Structural Variation in the Wheat Genome: Functional and Phenotypic Consequences,” explored genomic variation in wheat.

Dr. Akhunov is a Distinguished Professor and Director of the Wheat Genetics Resource Center (WGRC) at Kansas State University.

The Congress ‘From Seed to Pasta 5’ presented durum wheat research aimed at creating a more sustainable and resilient durum wheat chain that enhances food security and nutrition. Held every three years since 2015, From Seed to Pasta previously invited Dr. Akhunov to speak in 2018 and 2022.