Alan Mackie

Career-track Research Leader

Contact Details:

Institute of Food Research,
Norwich Research Park,
Colney, Norwich,
NR4 7UA
UK
alan.mackie@ifr.ac.uk

Research interests

My main research interest has been in colloidal interactions, particularly the organisation of interfacial protein films and how this is affected by the interaction with surfactants. The development of models for this interaction and the interfacial structures formed has led to a new approach in the way that interfacial composition is seen to affect bulk functionality in emulsion and foam systems. The distinct way that protein is displaced from an interface by non-ionic surfactants in particular was coined orogenic displacement. My key paper in this area in which, the mechanism of orogenic displacement of protein was first elucidated has now been cited over 160 times and I have over 90 refereed publications in total.

More recently my research has focused on the breakdown of colloidal structures in the GI tract and the subsequent transport across the mucous layer and uptake by the mucosal epithelium. This is undertaken with a view to modulating nutritional uptake by manipulation of food structures over various length scales. I lead a small multi disciplinary team producing colloidal systems for in-vitro digestion and for use with biological systems such a cultured enterocytes and mucin producing cell lines and ex-vivo animal samples. I have expertise in the use confocal scanning laser microscopy for studying colloidal systems and have developed methods for looking at transport in mucus. This has been a new area and publication is only now starting with several manuscripts in preparation on the digestion of protein stabilised colloidal structures.

Imaging the gut

I also have an interest in how food separates out in the stomach and how this can affect gastric emptying and thus satiety and other physiological responses. The image below shows a series of MRI scans through the abdomen of a healthy volunteer who has eaten a meal used for challenging allergic patients. The volunteer is lying on his back and the layering of the meal in the stomach can clearly be seen.