Assoc ProfessorGavin Stewart

Urea, as the main nitrogenous breakdown product of protein catabolism, has classically been viewed simply as a waste product to be excreted from the body. However, throughout the last two decades research into a novel group of transporters that facilitate urea movement across cell membranes has changed this view. These "facilitative urea transporters" are derived from two genes, UT-A and UT-B, and have now been shown to play a vital role to the mammalian urinary concentrating mechanism. In addition, these proteins have also been detected in a number of other tissues, including the gastrointestinal tract, where they play a vital role in the symbiotic relationship between mammals and their intestinal microbiota. My research interests involve understanding the precise physiological role of these urea transporters and the main areas of research I am currently involved with are: (1) Investigating the physiological role of urea transporters within the urea nitrogen salvaging process that maintains nitrogen balance in ruminant mammals. (2) Identifying the urea transporters present within the human gastrointestinal tract and investigating their role in our symbiotic relationship with intestinal microbiota. (3) Investigating the role of UT-B urea transporters in the urothelial cells of the human bladder.