Developing multiscale models of digestion to enable targeted product solutions for nutrition and metabolic health

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The gastrointestinal tract is a continuous organ with different complex environments along its length aimed at the efficient absorption of food. The impact that food can make, through an number of mechanisms, on appetite regulation and glucose homeostasis can occur in the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the colon. However, the greatest impact on satiety and glucose regulating hormones released from the gastrointestinal tract is seen after 30-60 minutes following the consumption of food. There is little understanding of the relationship between early food digestion and the metabolic processes that drive mechanisms that effect appetite and glucose homeostasis. Our aim is to develop multiscale models of digestion incorporating engineering and theoretical physics methodologies to enable targeted product solutions for nutrition and metabolic health. We will develop a fundamental understanding which provides a vital basis to understanding a range of scientific and technological questions outlined below:1. Rational design of dietary components to maintain a healthy weight is critically important to enable healthy ageing. In England, 60% of the adult population is overweight or obese, which imposes a major public health and financial burden. Therefore, it becomes a priority to understand how dietary components can maintain energy and glucose homeostasis across the lifespan. 2. On a global scale, rational design of foodstuffs is required to ensure enhanced calorie availability and the most efficient use of food resources that will be relevant to the developing world.3. Understanding of the healthy gut to inform models of diseases of the digestive system is needed.This is particularly timely because of recent advances in the new techniques that are becoming available (multi-scale modelling, physical imaging). We are also able to build on advances under the DRINC projects, which have contributed new understanding of the biochemical and biophysical digestive environment. The work also builds on the harmonised INFOGEST protocol from an EU-based project. In addition, as a result of the sandpit, we have identified novel expertise across disciplines which has a very obvious role to play in deciphering the complexities of digestion of food structures.