On a drizzly April afternoon, University of Dundee researchers Dr Mahima Swamy and Dr Grace Borichevsky travelled to The Cottage Kitchen in St Andrews, where they met members of the University of St. Andrews Gluten-free Society to chat about all things Coeliac over warm drinks and gluten-free goodies.

Mahima and Grace highlighted the exciting research in Coeliac disease taking place just up the road in Dundee. Their work aims to characterise the immune cells that damage the small intestine in Coeliac disease, with the goal of identifying new treatment targets, while also furthering research into a potential new drug for treating coeliac disease flare-ups. The informal atmosphere was a great opportunity for people with Coeliac disease to ask the researchers questions ranging from 'why can't we make wheat without gluten?' to 'How long does it take your body to heal after you've been gluten-ed?'.

To illustrate some of the concepts discussed, the researchers passed around tactile props to the group. These included an epithelial cell plushy toy which turns from healthy and pink to stressed and grey (in disease). Carpet samples donated by The Floor Store Dundee were used to represent the small intestine. A thick, plush pile represented a healthy gut, and a short-pile, dense, tough carpet representing the gut damage in Coeliac disease that leads to nutrient malabsorption. The afternoon ended with both the researchers and the society members learning something new about Coeliac disease.