A heavy meal
Spirulina enriched with ‘heavy’ nitrogen atoms is ingested to measure protein digestion.
The digestion of protein molecules from food is for other function within the human body. Protein digestion can be impaired when the intestine is functioning abnormally.
Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae which has been consumed as food for centuries. The spirulina in the image is enriched with ‘heavy’ nitrogen 15, replacing the usual nitrogen atoms which contain 14 protons and neutrons. This ‘tag’ makes it possible to identify the amino acids which stem from the spirulina.
I am using spirulina to measure changes in the digestion of food proteins after weight loss surgery. Such surgery changes both the structure and function of the intestine, increasing the risk of protein maldigestion.
The differences in body sizes, shapes, composition and even the visible joint replacements on the images each tells a story of the person’s ageing journey.
About the artist
Gabriel Eksteen investigates changes in protein and micronutrient absorption in older individuals that have undergone bariatric surgery. The above images were taken with a ZEISS Primovert Microscope at 20x magnification. Their brightness and contrast were enhanced, the exposure reduced.