Some resources that might help with Problem II:Guts

Msba, a bacterial channel that ressembles the CFTR chloride channel in cystic fibrosis
(you'll need the Chime plugin to see this)  (MSBA)

Introduction and overview of digestion:

http://arbl.cvmbs.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/digestion/

National Digestive Diseases Information Clearing House, part of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/index.htm

National Institutes of Health Genes and Disease site.
Look under digestive or nutritional and metabolic diseases.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?call=bv.View..ShowSection&rid=gnd

Emedicine.com
A commercial site with links for the medical community
http://www.emedicine.com

NIH bookshelf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=Books

Ion channel diseases
http://www.neuro.wustl.edu/neuromuscular/mother/chan.html

Thiamin at the Pauling Institute Micronutrient Center
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/thiamin/

Action Potential Simulation
http://www.blackwellscience.com/matthews/actionp.html