Sylvia Duncan
+44(0)1224 438680
The Rowett Institute,
Ashgrove Road West,
Aberdeen
AB25 2ZD
Biography
I am a microbiologist at the Rowett Institute and my research interests include anaerobic microbiology and metabolite profiling of gut microbial communities, including studies on controlled human dietary intervention studies to gain information on the dynamics of the gut microbiota, inter-individual colonic microbial variability and the responsiveness of the gut microbiota to dietary shifts.
I have isolated and characterised some of the key bacterial species from the human colon that degrade prebiotics and complex fibres and studies on these isolates has led to identity of which species make a major contribution to the synthesis of the main short chain fatty acids, acetate, propionate and butyrate. This work also includes studies on species that convert lactic acid into butyrate and that may have important health consequences.