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Is cow’s milk a source of extraordinarily bioavailable vitamin B12?

PhD defence, Thursday 8 June 2017. Christian Bredgaard Juul.

Christian Bredgaard Juul

Deficiency in vitamin B12 (B12) is a common and serious vitamin deficiency worldwide. During his studies, Christian Bredgaard Juul investigated whether the B12-binding protein in cow’s milk, transcobalamin, stimulates intestinal absorption of B12. His results show that transcobalamin from cow’s milk enhances absorption of B12 in a cell-based model of the human small intestine.

These results suggest a novel mechanism of intestinal absorption of B12 and contribute to a better understanding of the pronounced bioavailability of cow’s milk B12. The finding could potentially be exploited to reduce the occurrence of B12 deficiency.

The PhD degree was completed at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Science and Technology, Aarhus University.

This résumé was prepared by the PhD student.

Time: Thursday 8 June 2017 at 13.00
Place: Building 3130, room 303, conference room, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Gustav Wieds Vej 10 C, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C.
Title of dissertation: Investigating the effect of bovine transcobalamin on the absorption of cobalamin (vitamin B12) – studies in cell culture and the rat.
Contact information: Christian Bredgaard Juul, e-mail: cbjuul@mbg.au.dk, tel.: +45 87 15 55 31.
Members of the assessment committee:
Research professor Edward V. Quadros, Departments of Medicine/Cell Biology/Biochemistry, SUNY-Downstate Medical Center, USA.
Professor Torben Moos, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Denmark.
Associate Professor Anni Hangaard Andersen (chair), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Denmark.
Main supervisor:
Senior Scientist Christian Würtz Heegaard, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Denmark.
Co-supervisor:
Senior Scientist Jan Trige Rasmussen, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Denmark.
Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English

The defence is public. The dissertation is available for reading at the Graduate School of Science and Technology/GSST, Ny Munkegade 120, building 1520, rooms 128-134, 8000 Aarhus C.