• Featured in Physics
  • Editors' Suggestion
  • Open Access

Changing Flows Balance Nutrient Absorption and Bacterial Growth along the Gut

Agnese Codutti, Jonas Cremer, and Karen Alim
Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 138101 – Published 23 September 2022
Physics logo See Focus story: Optimizing Flow Speed is Essential for the Gut
PDFHTMLExport Citation

Abstract

Small intestine motility and its ensuing flow of luminal content impact both nutrient absorption and bacterial growth. To explore this interdependence we introduce a biophysical description of intestinal flow and absorption. Rooted in observations of mice we identify the average flow velocity as the key control of absorption efficiency and bacterial growth, independent of the exact contraction pattern. We uncover self-regulation of contraction and flow in response to nutrients and bacterial levels to promote efficient absorption while restraining detrimental bacterial overgrowth.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 16 February 2022
  • Accepted 24 August 2022

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.129.138101

Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Open access publication funded by the Max Planck Society.

Published by the American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Physics of Living SystemsNonlinear DynamicsFluid DynamicsInterdisciplinary PhysicsGeneral Physics

Focus

Key Image

Optimizing Flow Speed is Essential for the Gut

Published 23 September 2022

Fluid dynamics simulations suggest that the varying flow speed inside the small intestine maximizes nutrient absorption while minimizing excess bacteria.

See more in Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Agnese Codutti1, Jonas Cremer2, and Karen Alim3,1,*

  • 1Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
  • 2Biology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, 94305 California, USA
  • 3Physics Department and CPA, Technische Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany

  • *k.alim@tum.de

Article Text

Click to Expand

Supplemental Material

Click to Expand

References

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 129, Iss. 13 — 23 September 2022

Reuse & Permissions
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review Letters

Reuse & Permissions

It is not necessary to obtain permission to reuse this article or its components as it is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI are maintained. Please note that some figures may have been included with permission from other third parties. It is your responsibility to obtain the proper permission from the rights holder directly for these figures.

×

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×