Lay summary
Nutrition is a key component of health. When we are unable to obtain sufficient nutrition we sometimes need to be fed directly by tubes that carry liquid food directly into our gut. This can happen when we are very unwell or unable to eat for some other reason. The current methods of delivering this extra nutrition are not very efficient and prone to several complications. We are developing an alternative approach that will provide a better personalised delivery of nutrient fluids to ensure that the sick and infirm receive optimal nutritional support.
This new augmented nutrition system will be developed and tested in New Zealand. It is expected to offer a number of benefits ranging from new knowledge about nutrition and gut function as well as direct health benefits for patients across many diseases and the full age spectrum of neonates to the elderly.