Modelling Inter-Scale Energetics in GastroIntestinal ElectroMechanics

ongoing

The MiGEM proposal targets one of the remaining grand challenges in biomechanics: the development of a comprehensive, inter-scale, thermodynamically and energetically coherent multiphysics model of gastrointestinal (GI) motility. Despite the importance of gastrointestinal disorders as a primary global health problem, electromechanical modelling of gastrointestinal motility still presents significant theoretical and experimental limitations compared to more advanced fields such as cardiovascular bioengineering. Technical difficulties exist due to the intrinsic multiscale nature of gastrointestinal tissues, the coupling of multiple cell types and roles, and the combination of electrical and mechanical phenomena involving different energetic mechanisms. MiGEM has the potential to unlock new frontiers in GI research, addressing several state-of-the-art problems in gastrointestinal motility and opening unprecedented opportunities in novel subject-specific therapies. By adopting a rigorous theoretical-experimental scientific approach, MiGEM will advance state-of-the-art gastrointestinal theoretical modelling and experimental measurements, unveiling fundamental energetic mechanisms that govern stomach and intestine motility in health and disease. MiGEM will enable the first calorimetric measurement of tissue sample from the GI tract and create a new path in biomechanical modelling by assimilating innovative data into multiscale thermodynamic models. The project will create a new network of scientists with complementary experimental and modelling skills, fostering cross-fertilization, providing senior-to-junior methodological transfer, and supporting gender balance. The scientific experience of the PI, the formal membership to the project of the ABI, University of Auckland, and the multiple scientific collaborations that the PI has engaged for many years will be the key elements to successfully carry out an ambitious and high-risk project.