Amy Van Wey Lovatt

Citation

Thesis Title
Mathematical models of biofilm growth and food particle degradation in the gastrointestinal tract

Read article at Massey Research Online:

Diet is often considered the major driver influencing nutrition; however the diet is only one aspect of human nutrition. Soluble nutrient loss during gastric digestion and fermentation of food particles by intestinal bacteria are two important aspects of digestion. Nutrients released from the food particle during gastric digestion are available to be taken up by the small bowel and used by the host. The fermentation of non-digested or indigestible food particles by the intestinal bacteria results in by-products which are essential for human health. Mrs. Amy S. Van Wey Lovatt developed and validated mathematical models that describe1) soluble particle loss during gastric digestion at various pH levels, 2) the growth of bacteria in monoculture from the degradation of sugars and the resulting metabolites, 3) preferential degradation of sugars by bacteria, 4) nutrient competition and cross-feeding between two bacterial populations and 5) nutrient transport within bacterial biofilms.

Supervisors
Dr Wc McNabb
Dr Adrian Cookson
Dr Paul Shorten
Distinguished Professor Paul Moughan
Dr Nicole Roy