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The Rowett Institute

Dr Sylvia Duncan

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Dr Sylvia Duncan
Dr Sylvia Duncan
Dr Sylvia Duncan

BSc PhD

Senior Research Fellow

About
Email Address
sylvia.duncan@abdn.ac.uk
Telephone Number
+44 (0)1224 438680
Office Address

Rowett Institute

Forresterhill Campus

Aberdeen

AB25 2ZD

 

School/Department
School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition
ORCiD
Scopus
Google Scholar
Pure
Research

Research Overview

The Microbiology group have isolated and characterised many of the most abundant bacterial species that inhabit the human large intestine. A panel of the most interesting strains have also been genome sequenced. Mining these genomes has led to a good understanding of the roles of these mostly anaerobic bacteria in the human colon including their primary metabolic function, such as the formation of short chain fatty acids.

Research team:

Amanda Morris – Research Assistant

Galiana Lo - PhD student

Dr Indrani Mukhopadhya – Research Fellow

 

 

Research Areas

Nutrition and Health

View Research Area

Research Specialisms

  • Microbiology

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.

Current Research

My current research is focussed on the impact of dietary macronutrients, including protein and carbohydrate content, on modulating the composition of the gut microbiota and metabolic outputs to improve health and prevent disease. The impact of gut environmental factors, including pH and bile salt levels, on modulating the gut microbiota and metabolism are also being studied using in vitro model colonic fermentor systems. We are also interested in bacterial cross feeding of dietary macronutrients by specialist bacterial species. We are also interested lactic acid utilising bacterial species as this is a product that is usually low in healthy colons but can accumulate to high levels in disease states such as inflammatory bowel disease. Further studies are also underway on host-microbe interactions.

More recently, the formation of secondary metabolites, such as polyketides and non-ribosomally synthesised peptides, by gut anaerobes are being studied through genome mining strains, testing their ability to inhibit pathogens and identifying the structure of these peptides as these are potentially pharmaceutically important compounds that may possess anti-microbial and anti-cancer properties.

Teaching

Courses

Teaching Responsibilities

Course Coordinator MC4014

Contribute lectures and tutorials to Nutrition courses

Publications

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  • Anti-inflammatory implications of the microbial transformation of dietary phenolic compounds

    Russell, W. R., Scobbie, L., Chesson, A., Richardson, A. J., Stewart, C. S., Duncan, S. H., Drew, J., Duthie, G. G.
    Nutrition and Cancer, vol. 60, no. 5, pp. 636-642
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Dietary fibre and the gut microbiota

    Scott, K. P., Duncan, S. H., Flint, H. J.
    Nutrition Bulletin, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 201-211
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Proposal of a neotype strain (A1-86) for Eubacterium rectale. Request for an opinion

    Duncan, S. H., Flint, H. J.
    International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, vol. 58, no. 7, pp. 1735-1736
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Prebiotics and the gut microbiota: Evidence for different modes of action

    Louis, P., Scott, K. P., Duncan, S. H., Flint, H. J.
    NUTRAfoods: International Journal of Science and Marketing for Nutraceutical Actives, Raw Materials, Finish Products, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 33-39
    Contributions to Journals: Literature Reviews

  • Impact of pH on Lactate Formation and Utilization by Human Fecal Microbial Communities

    Belenguer, A., Duncan, S. H., Holtrop, G., Anderson, S. E., Lobley, G. E., Flint, H. J.
    Applied and Environmental Microbiology, vol. 73, no. 20, pp. 6526-6533
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Commensal bacteria in health and disease

    Flint, H. J., Louis, P., Scott, K. P., Duncan, S. H.
    Virulence mechanisms of bacterial pathogens. Brogden, K. A., Minion, F. C., Cornick, N., Stanton, T. B., Zhang, Q., Nolan, L. K., Wannemuehler, M. J. (eds.). 4 edition. ASM Press, pp. 101-114, 4 pages
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters

  • Availability of blueberry phenolics for microbial metabolism in the colon and the potential inflammatory implications

    Russell, W. R., Labat, A., Scobbie, L., Duncan, S. H.
    Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, vol. 51, no. 6, pp. 726-731
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Interactions and competition within the microbial community of the human colon: Links between diet and health

    Flint, H. J., Duncan, S. H., Scott, K. P., Louis, P.
    Environmental Microbiology, vol. 9, no. 5, pp. 1101-1111
    Contributions to Journals: Literature Reviews

  • Understanding the effects of diet on bacterial metabolism in the large intestine

    Louis, P., Scott, K. P., Duncan, S. H., Flint, H. J.
    Journal of Applied Microbiology, vol. 102, no. 5, pp. 1197-1208
    Contributions to Journals: Literature Reviews

  • Cultivable bacterial diversity from the human colon

    Duncan, S. H., Louis, P., Flint, H. J.
    Letters in Applied Microbiology, vol. 44, no. 4, pp. 343-350
    Contributions to Journals: Literature Reviews

  • Metabolism of linoleic acid by human gut bacteria: different routes for biosynthesis of conjugated linoleic acid

    Devillard, E., McIntosh, F. M., Duncan, S. H., Wallace, R. J.
    Journal of Bacteriology, vol. 189, no. 6, pp. 2566-2570
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Molecular approaches to the analysis of gastrointestinal microbial ecosystems

    Flint, H. J., Leitch, E. C. M., Duncan, S. H., Walker, A. W., Patterson, A. J., Rincon, M. T., Scott, K. P., Louis, P. G. H.
    Avian Gut Function in Health and Disease. Perry, G. (ed.). CABI Publishing, pp. 107-123
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters

  • Proposal of Roseburia faecis sp nov., Roseburia hominis sp nov and Roseburia inulinivorans sp nov., based on isolates from human faeces

    Duncan, S. H., Aminov, R. I., Scott, K. P., Louis, P., Stanton, T. B., Flint, H. J.
    International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, vol. 56, no. 10, pp. 2437-2441
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Molecular diversity, cultivation, and improved detection by fluorescent in situ hybridization of a dominant group of human gut bacteria related to Roseburia spp. or Eubacterium rectale

    Aminov, R. I., Walker, A. W., Duncan, S. H., Harmsen, H. J. M., Welling, G. W., Flint, H. J.
    Applied and Environmental Microbiology, vol. 72, no. 9, pp. 6371-6376
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Two routes of metabolic cross-feeding between Bifidobacterium adolescentis and butyrate-producing anaerobes from the human gut

    Belenguer, A., Duncan, S. H., Calder, A. G., Holtrop, G., Louis, P., Lobley, G., Flint, H. J.
    Applied and Environmental Microbiology, vol. 72, no. 5, pp. 3593-3599
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Evidence for the development of specialised bacterial communities on resistant starch in the human colon that promote butyrate formation

    Duncan, S. H., Leitch, E. C. M., Walker, A., Flint, H. J.
    Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, vol. 65, no. Supplement, pp. 119A-119A
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Impact of high-protein, low- and moderate-carbohydrate diets on the microbal community and on metabolite concentration in faeces: possible implications for gut health

    Lobley, G., Belenguer, A., Duncan, S. H., Holtrop, G., Johnstone, A. M., Flint, H. J.
    Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, vol. 65, no. Supplement, pp. 100A-100A
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Microbial transformation of cinnamic acids in strawberries

    Russell, W. R., Duncan, S. H., Labat, A., Scobbie, L., Calder, A. G., Flint, H. J., Duthie, G. G.
    Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, vol. 65, no. Supplement OCA-B, pp. 107A
    Contributions to Journals: Abstracts

  • Microbial transformation of cinnamic acids in strawberries: potential inflammatory implications

    Russell, W. R., Duncan, S. H., Labat, A., Scobbie, L., Calder, A. G., Flint, H. J., Duthie, G. G.
    Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, vol. 65, no. Supplement OCA-B, pp. 107A
    Contributions to Journals: Abstracts

  • pH and peptide supply can radically alter bacterial populations and short-chain fatty acid ratios within microbial communities from the human colon

    Walker, A. W., Duncan, S. H., McWilliam Leitch, E. C., Child, M. W., Flint, H. J.
    Applied and Environmental Microbiology, vol. 71, no. 7, pp. 3692-3700
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Response of human colonic microbiota and butyrate formation in continuous culture to a one-unit pH shift

    Walker, A. W., Duncan, S. H., Leitch, E. C. M., Flint, H. J.
    Scientific Meeting of the Nutrition Society (2005), pp. 70A-70A
    Contributions to Journals: Abstracts

  • Lactate-utilizing bacteria, isolated from human feces, that produce butyrate as a major fermentation product

    Duncan, S. H., Louis, P., Flint, H. J.
    Applied and Environmental Microbiology, vol. 70, no. 10, pp. 5810-5817
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Contribution of acetate to butyrate formation by human faecal bacteria

    Duncan, S. H., Holtrop, G., Lobley, G. E., Calder, A. G., Stewart, C. S., Flint, H. J.
    British Journal of Nutrition, vol. 91, no. 6, pp. 915-923
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Restricted distribution of the butyrate kinase pathway among butyrate-producing bacteria from the human colon

    Louis, P., Duncan, S. H., McCrae, S. I., Millar, J., Jackson, M. S., Flint, H. J.
    Journal of Bacteriology, vol. 186, no. 7, pp. 2099-2106
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Acetate utilization and butyryl coenzyme A (CoA): acetate-CoA transferase in butyrate-producing bacteria from the human large intestine

    Duncan, S. H., Barcenilla, A., Stewart, C. S., Pryde, S. E., Flint, H. J.
    Applied and Environmental Microbiology, vol. 68, no. 10, pp. 5186-5190
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Phylogenetic relationships of butyrate-producing bacteria from the human gut

    Barcenilla, A., Pryde, S. E., Martin, J. C., Duncan, S. H., Stewart, C. S., Henderson, C., Flint, H. J.
    Applied and Environmental Microbiology, vol. 66, no. 4, pp. 1654-1661
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • The potential for the control of Escherichia coli O157 in farm animals

    Duncan, S. H., Booth, I. R., Flint, H. J., Stewart, C. S.
    Journal of Applied Microbiology, vol. 88
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Inhibitory activity of gut bacteria against Escherichia coli O157 mediated by dietary plant metabolites

    Duncan, S. H., Flint, H. J., Stewart, C. S.
    FEMS Microbiology Letters, vol. 164, no. 2, pp. 283-288
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • The fate of Escherichia coli 0157 isolates under simulated rumen conditions and the use of a gfp-labelled isolate for ecological studies

    Duncan, S. H., Scott, K. P., Steward, C. S., Flint, H. J., Thompson-Carter, F., Pennington, T. H.
    Reproduction Nutrition Development, vol. 37, no. Suppl. 1, pp. 31-32
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • THE PROPERTIES OF FORMS OF RUMINOCOCCUS-FLAVEFACIENS WHICH DIFFER IN THEIR ABILITY TO DEGRADE COTTON CELLULOSE

    STEWART, C. S., DUNCAN, S. H., FLINT, H. J.
    FEMS Microbiology Letters, vol. 72, no. 1-2, pp. 47-50
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE LOSS AND REGAIN OF COTTON-DEGRADING ACTIVITY FOR THE DEGRADATION OF STRAW BY RUMINOCOCCUS-FLAVEFACIENS STRAIN-007

    STEWART, C. S., DUNCAN, S. H., MCPHERSON, C. A., RICHARDSON, A. J., FLINT, H. J.
    Journal of Applied Bacteriology, vol. 68, no. 4, pp. 349-356
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • CHARACTERISTICS OF ISOLATES OF LACTOBACILLUS-FERMENTUM FROM THE RUMEN OF SHEEP

    STEWART, C. S., DUNCAN, S. H., FLINT, H. J.
    Letters in Applied Microbiology, vol. 6, no. 6, pp. 133-135
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • THE ISOLATION OF TETRACYCLINE-RESISTANT STRAINS OF STRICTLY ANAEROBIC-BACTERIA FROM THE RUMEN

    FLINT, H. J., DUNCAN, S. H., BISSET, J., STEWART, C. S.
    Letters in Applied Microbiology, vol. 6, no. 5, pp. 113-115
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • TRANSMISSIBLE ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANCE IN STRAINS OF ESCHERICHIA-COLI ISOLATED FROM THE OVINE RUMEN

    FLINT, H. J., DUNCAN, S. H., STEWART, C. S.
    Letters in Applied Microbiology, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 47-49
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • The effect of avoparcin on cellulolytic bacteria of the ovine rumen

    Stewart, C. S., Duncan, S. H.
    Journal of General Microbiology, vol. 131, no. 3, pp. 427-435
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
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