![Dr Petra Louis Dr Petra Louis](/img/200x200/staffpages/uploads/rwt066/P.Louis_square.jpg)
Senior Research Fellow
- About
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- Email Address
- p.louis@abdn.ac.uk
- Telephone Number
- +44 (0)1224 438735
- Office Address
Dr. Petra Louis
Microbiology Group
Gut Health Theme
The Rowett Institute
University of Aberdeen
Foresterhill
Aberdeen AB25 2ZD
- School/Department
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition
Biography
Petra Louis is a molecular microbiologist with an interest in the human gut microbiota, diet and health. She obtained her Diploma in Biology and PhD in Microbiology from the University of Bonn, Germany, where she conducted research on osmoadaptation in halophilic bacteria. She undertook post-doctoral research at the University of Aberdeen on stress responses in Escherichia coli and on RNA secondary structure melting during translation in yeast, before taking up a position as principal investigator at the Rowett Institute in Aberdeen in 2002.
Her research concentrates on the metabolism of the microbial community that inhabits the human intestine and how it can be modulated by diet to improve human health, with a particular emphasis on short-chain fatty acid production from dietary non-digestible carbohydrates. She utilises a wide range of technical approaches, including strictly anaerobic microbiology, molecular microbial community analysis, -omics technologies and mathematical modelling, to investigate which microbes are instrumental for primary fibre degradation and how different microbial community members interact with each other during fibre breakdown and fermentation product formation. Her work contributes to the development of effective and personalised nutritional strategies to improve human health via actions of the gut microbiota.
Qualifications
- Diploma Biology1992 - University of Bonn, Germany
- PhD Microbiology1996 - Univesity of Bonn, Germany
Prizes and Awards
PhD thesis award of the German Society for General and Applied Microbiology (VAAM) 1996
Clarivate (Web of Science) highly cited researcher: 2018-2023
Member of the Rowett Gut Microbiology Group, who were runners up in the International Global Grants for Gut Health Nature Awards Research Group Prize 2023 - read more HERE
- Research
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Research Overview
The microbial community in the human large intestine consists of a diverse range of bacteria that break down complex nutrients of dietary and host origin. The members of this ecosystem form a complex metabolic network in which the product of one group can serve as substrate for another group. Overall, this leads to the accumulation of mainly three organic acids, acetate, propionate and butyrate, which are partially absorbed by the colon and serve as an additional energy source for the human host. Butyrate is of special interest, as it serves as the preferred energy source for the colonic wall and thus contributes to the proper functioning of the gut. It has also been claimed to be protective against colon cancer and inflammatory bowel disease through effects on host gene expression and cellular development of the colon. Propionate also influences host physiology and its potential effects on host satiety is of particular interest in view of the current obesity epidemic.
Dietary intakes can influence the microbial gut community and shift the balance between different functional bacterial groups, with potential consequences for host health. Our research concentrates on the microbial metabolism of dietary non-digestible carbohydrates, with a particular emphasis on short-chain fatty acid production. We utilise are wide range of technical approaches, including strictly anaerobic microbiology of pure strains and mixed microbial consortia, molecular microbial community analysis of in vitro and human dietary studies, -omics technologies, enzymology and mathematical modelling.
Research Specialisms
- Microbiology
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Ecology
Our research specialisms are based on the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS) which is HESA open data, published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
- Publications
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Page 8 of 11 Results 71 to 80 of 109
Micro-organisms in the human gut: diversity and function
biochemical society focussed meeting, pp. 4-9Contributions to Journals: Literature ReviewsButyrate production in phylogenetically diverse Firmicutes isolated from the chicken caecum
Microbial Biotechnology, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 503-512Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-7915.2010.00244.x
Dominant and diet-responsive groups of bacteria within the human colonic microbiota
The ISME Journal, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 220-230Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2010.118
Impact of Intestinal Microbial Communities upon Health
Beneficial microorganisms in multicellular life forms. Rosenberg, E., Gophna, U. (eds.). Springer Verlag, pp. 243-252, 252 pagesChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-21680-0_18
Life in the gut: microbial responses to stress in the gastrointestinal tract
Science Progress, vol. 93, no. 1, pp. 7-36Contributions to Journals: Literature Reviews- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.3184/003685009X12605525292307
Butyric acid-producing anaerobic bacteria as a novel probiotic treatment approach for inflammatory bowel disease
Journal of Medical Microbiology, vol. 59, no. 2, pp. 141-143Contributions to Journals: Editorials- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.017541-0
Diversity of human colonic butyrate-producing bacteria revealed by analysis of the butyryl-CoA:acetate CoA-transferase gene
Environmental Microbiology, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 304-314Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2009.02066.x
Molecular diversity of B-glucuronidase gene gus in human faecal microbiota
Gut Microbiology: New Insights into Gut Microbial Ecosystems; Rowett-Inra 2010. Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health pp. 71-71, 1 page.Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Other ContributionsThe role of pH in determining the species composition of the human colonic microbiota
Environmental Microbiology, vol. 11, no. 8, pp. 2112-2122Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2009.01931.x
Gut microbial ecology
Designing Functional Foods: Measuring and Controlling Food Structure, Breakdown and Nutrient Absorption. McClements, D. J., Decker, E. A. (eds.). Woodhead Publishing, pp. 38-67, 30 pagesChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1533/9781845696603.1.38