The mucosal biophysics of macronutrient transport

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To understand at a molecular level how colloidal food structures affect the uptake of biologically active macromolecules (particularly food allergens) across the different layers that make up the gut mucosal barrier, particularly the small intestine. The dynamic process of food digestion in the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract leads to the self-assembly of complex structures. Of particular interest are the interactions between macronutrients such as proteins and the food matrix, particularly lipids. Lipid emulsions stabilised by phospholipids and protein are subjected to bile salts, pancreatic lipase and protease. The pattern and extent of hydrolysis of protein and lipid and subsequent absorption of the nutrients is very much dependent on the interactions of all these elements. An understanding of the biophysical rules guiding the diffusion of macronutrients to the brush border is fundamental to maximising the benefits of bioactive peptides while minimising exposure to potential allergenic protein structures. Using a biophysical approach, we will obtain information to model the pathways and kinetics of transport and disassembly of colloidal structure across the mucin-layer and study the ways in which food components and structures formed in the gut lumen during digestion affect transport.

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