Search Menu
The Rowett Institute

Dr Sylvia Duncan

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

Page 2 of 3 Results 51 to 100 of 131

  • Unique Organization of Extracellular Amylases into Amylosomes in the Resistant Starch-Utilizing Human Colonic Firmicutes Bacterium Ruminococcus bromii

    Ze, X., David, B., Laverde Gomez, J., Dassa, B., Sheridan, P., Duncan, S. H., Louis, P. G. H., Henrissat, B., Juge, N., Koropatkin, N. M., Bayer, E. A., Flint, H. J.
    mBio, vol. 6, no. 5, e01058-15
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Ruminococcal cellulosome systems from rumen to human

    David, Y. B., Dassa, B., Borovok, I., Lamed, R., Koropatkin, N. M., Martens, E. C., White, B. A., Bernalier-Donadille, A., Duncan, S. H., Flint, H. J., Bayer, E. A., Moraïs, S.
    Environmental Microbiology, vol. 17, no. 9, pp. 3407-3426
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Modelling the emergent dynamics and major metabolites of the human colonic microbiota

    Kettle, H., Louis, P. G. H., Holtrop, G., Duncan, S. H., Flint, H. J.
    Environmental Microbiology, vol. 17, no. 5, pp. 1615-1630
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Faecalibacterium prausnitzii Strain HTF-F and Its Extracellular Polymeric Matrix Attenuate Clinical Parameters in DSS-Induced Colitis

    Rossi, O., Khan, M. T., Schwarzer, M., Hudcovic, T., Srutkova, D., Duncan, S. H., Stolte, E. H., Kozakova, H., Flint, H. J., Samsom, J. N., Harmsen, H. J. M., Wells, J. M.
    PloS ONE, vol. 10, no. 4, e0123013
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Links between diet, gut microbiota composition and gut metabolism

    Flint, H. J., Duncan, S. H., Scott, K. P., Louis, P.
    Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, vol. 74, no. 1, pp. 13-22
    Contributions to Journals: Literature Reviews

  • Microbes Central to Human Reproduction

    Reid, G., Brigidi, P., Burton, J. P., Contractor, N., Duncan, S., Fargier, E., Hill, C., Lebeer, S., Martín, R., Mcbain, A. J., Mor, G., O'Neill, C., Rodríguez, J. M., Swann, J., van Hemert, S., Ansell, J.
    American Journal of Reproductive Immunology, vol. 73, no. 1, pp. 1-11
    Contributions to Journals: Review articles

  • Influence of dietary carbohydrate and protein on colonic fermentation and endogenous formation of N-nitroso compounds

    Gratz, S., Richardson, A. J., Duncan, S. H., Russell, W. R., Fyfe, C., Johnstone, A. M., Flint, H. J., Holtrop, G.
    Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, vol. 74, no. OCE1, pp. E44
    Contributions to Journals: Abstracts

  • Impact of diet and individual variation on intestinal microbiota composition and fermentation products in obese men

    Salonen, A., Lahti, L., Salojärvi, J., Holtrop, G., Korpela, K., Duncan, S. H., Date, P., Farquharson, F., Johnstone, A. M., Lobley, G. E., Louis, P., Flint, H. J., de Vos, W. M.
    The ISME Journal, vol. 8, pp. 2218-2230
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Complete genome of a new Firmicutes species belonging to the dominant human colonic microbiota (“Ruminococcus bicirculans”) reveals two chromosomes and a selective capacity to utilize plant glucans

    Wegmann, U., Louis, P., Goesmann, A., Henrissat, B., Duncan, S. H., Flint, H. J.
    Environmental Microbiology, vol. 16, no. 9, pp. 2879-2890
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Rumen cellulosomics: divergent fiber-degrading strategies revealed by comparative genome-wide analysis of six ruminococcal strains

    Dassa, B., Borovok, I., Ruimy-Israeli, V., Lamed, R., Flint, H. J., Duncan, S. H., Henrissat, B., Coutinho, P., Morrison, M., Mosoni, P., Yeoman, C. J., White, B. A., Bayer, E. A.
    PloS ONE, vol. 9, no. 7, e99221
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Phylogenetic distribution of three pathways for propionate production within the human gut microbiota

    Reichardt, N., Duncan, S. H., Young, P., Belenguer, A., McWilliam Leitch, C., Scott, K. P., Flint, H. J., Louis, P.
    The ISME Journal, vol. 8, no. 6, pp. 1323-1335
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Mucosa-associated Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Escherichia coli co-abundance can distinguish Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Inflammatory Bowel Disease phenotypes

    Lopez-Siles, M., Martinez-Medina, M., Busquets, D., Sabat-Mir, M., Duncan, S. H., Flint, H. J., Aldeguer, X., Garcia-Gil, L. J.
    International Journal of Medical Microbiology: IJMM, vol. 304, no. 3-4, pp. 464-475
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Phylogeny, culturing, and metagenomics of the human gut microbiota

    Walker, A. W., Duncan, S. H., Louis, P., Flint, H. J.
    Trends in Microbiology, vol. 22, no. 5, pp. 267-274
    Contributions to Journals: Literature Reviews

  • Bacteroides and Prevotella

    Flint, H. J., Duncan, S. H.
    Encyclopedia of Food Microbiology: Second Edition. Elsevier Inc., pp. 203-208, 6 pages
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters

  • Functional genomics reveals that Clostridium difficile Spo0A coordinates sporulation, virulence and metabolism

    Pettit, L. J., Browne, H. P., Yu, L., Smits, W. K., Fagan, R. P., Barquist, L., Martin, M. J., Goulding, D., Duncan, S. H., Flint, H. J., Dougan, G., Choudhary, J. S., Lawley, T. D.
    BMC Genomics, vol. 15, 160
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • The impact of different DNA extraction kits and laboratories upon the assessment of human gut microbiota composition by 16S rRNA gene sequencing

    Kennedy, N. A., Walker, A. W., Berry, S. H., Duncan, S. H., Farquarson, F. M., Louis, P., Thomson, J. M., Satsangi, J., Flint, H. J., Parkhill, J., Lees, C. W., Hold, G. L., UK IBD Genetics Consortium
    PloS ONE, vol. 9, no. 2, e88982
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Prebiotic stimulation of human colonic butyrate-producing bacteria and bifidobacteria, in vitro

    Scott, K. P., Martin, J. C., Duncan, S. H., Flint, H. J.
    FEMS Microbiology Ecology, vol. 87, no. 1, pp. 30-40
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Faecal microbiota profiling in human volunteers on low and high fruit and vegetable intakes

    Farquharson, F. M., Ze, X., Scobbie, L., Milne, L., Duncan, S. H., Holtrop, G., Flint, H. J., Rungapamestry, V., Duthie, G. G., Bestwick, C. S., Duthie, S. J., Louis, P. G.
    ROWETT-INRA 2014 Gut Microbiology: From Sequence to Function. [P131] Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health pp. 116, 1 page.
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Other Contributions

  • Gut microbiome and obesity

    Flint, H. J., Duncan, S. H., Louis, P. G. H.
    Treatment of the obese patient. Kushner, R. F., Bessesen, D. H. (eds.). 2nd edition. Springer Science+Business Media, pp. 73-82, 10 pages
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters

  • SATIN (Satiety Innovation) Project:: Impact of type 3 resistant starch on gut microbiota and metabolites in overweight human volunteers

    McKinnon, H., Romero Gonzalez, R. P. D. C., Fyfe, C. L., Whelan, A., Ze, X., Pesci, I., Farquharson, F. M., Louis, P. G. H., Bosscher, D., Bonnema, A., Ryan, S., Shirazi-Beechey, S. P., Harold, J., Halford, J. C., Duncan, S. H., Johnstone, A., Flint, H. J., Gratz, S.
    ROWETT-INRA 2014 Gut Microbiology: From Sequence to Function. [P143] Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health pp. 122-122, 1 page.
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Other Contributions

  • Advanced analytical methodologies to study the microbial metabolome of the human gut

    Russell, W. R., Duncan, S. H.
    TrAC - Trends in Analytical Chemistry, vol. 52, pp. 54-60
    Contributions to Journals: Review articles

  • A representative of the dominant human colonic Firmicutes, Roseburia faecis M72/1, forms a novel bacteriocin-like substance

    Hatziioanou, D., Mayer, M. J., Duncan, S. H., Flint, H. J., Narbad, A.
    Anaerobe, vol. 23, pp. 5-8
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Expression of Cellulosome Components and Type IV Pili within the Extracellular Proteome of Ruminococcus flavefaciens 007

    Vodovnik, M., Duncan, S. H., Reid, M. D., Cantlay, L., Turner, K., Parkhill, J., Lamed, R., Yeoman, C. J., Miller, M. E. B., White, B. A., Bayer, E. A., Marinšek-Logar, R., Flint, H. J.
    PloS ONE, vol. 8, no. 6, pp. 1-11
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Some are more equal than others: the role of ‘keystone’ species in the degradation of recalcitrant substrates

    Ze, X., Le Mougen, F., Duncan, S. H., Louis, P., Flint, H. J.
    Gut Microbes, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 236-240
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • MS-based Methodologies to Study the Microbial Metabolome

    Russell, W. R., Duncan, S. H.
    Foodomics: Advanced Mass Spectrometry in Modern Food Science and Nutrition. Cifuentes, A. (ed.). John Wiley & Sons Ltd., pp. 221-243, 23 pages
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters

  • Major phenylpropanoid-derived metabolites in the human gut can arise from microbial fermentation of protein

    Russell, W. R., Duncan, S. H., Scobbie, L., Duncan, G., Cantlay, L., Calder, A. G., Anderson, S. E., Flint, H. J.
    Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, vol. 57, no. 3, pp. 523-535
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • The influence of diet on the gut microbiota

    Scott, K. P., Gratz, S. W., Sheridan, P. O., Flint, H. J., Duncan, S. H.
    Pharmacological Research, vol. 69, no. 1, pp. 52-60
    Contributions to Journals: Literature Reviews

  • The gut microbial metabolome: Modulation of cancer risk in obese individuals

    Russell, W. R., Duncan, S. H., Flint, H. J.
    Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, vol. 72, no. 1, pp. 178-188
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Anaerostipes hadrus comb. nov., a dominant species within the human colonic microbiota; reclassification of Eubacterium hadrum Moore et al. 1976

    Allen-Vercoe, E., Daigneault, M., White, A., Panaccione, R., Duncan, S. H., Flint, H. J., O'Neal, L., Lawson, P. A.
    Anaerobe, vol. 18, no. 5, pp. 523-529
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • The role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health

    Flint, H. J., Scott, K. P., Louis, P., Duncan, S. H.
    Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, vol. 9, no. 10, pp. 577-589
    Contributions to Journals: Literature Reviews

  • Microbial degradation of complex carbohydrates in the gut

    Flint, H. J., Scott, K. P., Duncan, S. H., Louis, P., Forano, E.
    Gut Microbes, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 289-306
    Contributions to Journals: Literature Reviews

  • Alterations in microbiota and fermentation products in equine large intestine in response to dietary variation and intestinal disease

    Daly, K., Proudman, C. J., Duncan, S. H., Flint, H. J., Dyer, J., Shirazi-Beechey, S. P.
    British Journal of Nutrition, vol. 107, no. 7, pp. 989-995
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Ruminococcus bromii is a keystone species for the degradation of resistant starch in the human colon

    Ze, X., Duncan, S. H., Louis, P., Flint, H. J.
    The ISME Journal, vol. 6, no. 8, pp. 1535-1543
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Micro-organisms in the human gut: diversity and function

    Scott, K. P., Duncan, S. H., Louis, P., Flint, H. J.
    biochemical society focussed meeting, pp. 4-9
    Contributions to Journals: Literature Reviews

  • Rates of production and utilization of lactate by microbial communities from the human colon

    Belenguer, A., Holtrop, G., Duncan, S. H., Anderson, S. E., Calder, A. G., Flint, H. J., Lobley, G. E.
    FEMS Microbiology Ecology, vol. 77, no. 1, pp. 107-119
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • High-protein, reduced-carbohydrate weight-loss diets promote metabolite profiles likely to be detrimental to colonic health

    Russell, W. R., Gratz, S. W., Duncan, S. H., Holtrop, G., Ince, J., Scobbie, L., Duncan, G., Johnstone, A. M., Lobley, G. E., Wallace, R. J., Duthie, G. G., Flint, H. J.
    The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 93, no. 5, pp. 1062-1072
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Impact of Intestinal Microbial Communities upon Health

    Flint, H. J., Duncan, S. H., Louis, P.
    Beneficial microorganisms in multicellular life forms. Rosenberg, E., Gophna, U. (eds.). Springer-Verlag, pp. 243-252, 252 pages
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters

  • Translocation of Crohn's disease Escherichia coli across M-cells: Contrasting effects of soluble plant fibres and emulsifiers

    Roberts, C. L., Keita, ?. V., Duncan, S. H., O'Kennedy, N., Söderholm, J. D., Rhodes, J. M., Campbell, B. J.
    Gut, vol. 59, no. 10, pp. 1331-1339
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • The induction of colitis and ileitis in mice Is associated with marked increases in intestinal concentrations of stimulants of TLRs 2, 4, and 5

    Erridge, C., Duncan, S. H., Bereswill, S., Heimesaat, M. M.
    PloS ONE, vol. 5, no. 2, e9125
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Effect of protein and carbohydrate intake on intestinal toxicity of human feces

    Gratz, S., Duncan, S., Richardson, A. J., Johnstone, A., Lobley, G. E., Flint, H. J., Wallace, R. J.
    Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism, vol. 55, no. Suppl. 1, pp. 80
    Contributions to Journals: Abstracts

  • Lactate has the potential to promote hydrogen sulphide formation in the human colon

    Marquet, P., Duncan, S. H., Chassard, C., Bernalier-Donadille, A., Flint, H. J.
    FEMS Microbiology Letters, vol. 299, no. 2, pp. 128-134
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • The role of pH in determining the species composition of the human colonic microbiota

    Duncan, S. H., Louis, P., Thomson, J. M., Flint, H. J.
    Environmental Microbiology, vol. 11, no. 8, pp. 2112-2122
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Gut microbial ecology

    Flint, H. J., Duncan, S. H., Louis, P.
    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 pages
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters

  • High protein diets impact on microbial metabolites and toxicity in the human large intestine

    Gratz, S., Duncan, S. H., Richardson, A. J., Johnstone, A. M., Lobley, G. E., Flint, H. J., Wallace, R. J.
    Microbial Ecology, vol. 57, no. 3, pp. 572-573
    Contributions to Journals: Abstracts

  • Distribution of β-glucosidase and β-glucuronidase activity and of β-glucuronidase gene gus in human colonic bacteria

    Dabek, M., McCrae, S. I., Stevens, V. J., Duncan, S. H., Louis, P.
    FEMS Microbiology Ecology, vol. 66, no. 3, pp. 487-495
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Human colonic microbiota associated with diet, obesity and weight loss

    Duncan, S. H., Lobley, G., Holtrop, G., Ince, J., Johnstone, A., Louis, P., Flint, H. J.
    International Journal of Obesity, vol. 32, no. 11, pp. 1720-1724
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • 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
Show 10 | 25 | 50 | 100 results per page

Refine

Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings

Contributions to Journals

Update