Unified framework of intestinal motility. The project aims to establish how a few fundamental mechanisms determine the large repertoire of intestinal motor patterns responsible for moving nutrients along the digestive tract. The project will combine experimental and theoretical data, with biomechanical and electrophysiological models to create a new understanding of this essential function of the body.
Role of suppressor of cytokine signalling proteins (SOCS3) in defective muscle repair and ageing. Old muscles are slower and weaker than young muscles, they are injured more easily and they repair less successfully. This proposal investigates the role of SOCS3-signalling in muscle repair, ultimately to improve healing and to promote healthy ageing that will enable older Australians to enjoy a better quality of life.
Does muscle contribute to the maintenance of vitamin D status in winter? This project aims to test the mechanism by which vitamin D status is maintained in winter when input is low. The long half-life in blood of the vitamin D metabolite, 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], maintains an adequate vitamin D status over winter, when sunlight, which produces vitamin D in skin, is reduced. From preliminary data in sheep and mice, this project proposes that skeletal muscle, not fat, stores vitamin D. This ....Does muscle contribute to the maintenance of vitamin D status in winter? This project aims to test the mechanism by which vitamin D status is maintained in winter when input is low. The long half-life in blood of the vitamin D metabolite, 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], maintains an adequate vitamin D status over winter, when sunlight, which produces vitamin D in skin, is reduced. From preliminary data in sheep and mice, this project proposes that skeletal muscle, not fat, stores vitamin D. This project will test this hypothesis in sheep, cultured muscle cells and in transgenic mice. The project will confirm whether the processes identified in skeletal muscle contribute to the maintenance of vitamin D status, and identify ways of enhancing this process.Read moreRead less