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Dr Bernadine Flanagan
Dr

Bernadine Flanagan

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 336 53449

Overview

Background

Since joining the Centre for Nutrition and Food Science in 2004, my work has focussed on food structure and how it changes during digestion and fermentation. I use NMR spectroscopy and wet chemistry techniques, to characterise polysaccharides particularly: starch, plant cell walls, dietary fibre and cellulose. My research has resulted in the publication of 93 papers with over 6000 citations and a H-index of 39 (scopus). I regularly review papers for Food Hydrocolloids and Carbohydrate polymers. I have co-supervised eight PhDs to completion and am currently co-supervising four PhD students and am principal supervisor to one PhD and two masters students.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Science (Honours, 1997, UQ) and PhD in Inorganic Chemistry (2002, UQ) I worked with Prof David Fairlie (h-index 104, 42, 140 citations) to study peptide synthesis and high-field, multi-dimensional NMR.

I have practical experience with in vitro and digestion and fermentation and havecollaborated to perfect a batch fermentation system to compare the fermentability of a number of complex dietary fibres using human faecal inoculum. Using this methodology, I have studied how the chemistry and architecture of dietary fibres affects the digestion and fermentation of starches and dietary fibres. My Skills in NMR spectroscopy have enabled me to develop methods for quantifying starch molecular order and to quantify Short Chain Fatty acids and other fermemetabolites.

Availability

Dr Bernadine Flanagan is:
Available for supervision

Qualifications

  • Bachelor (Honours) of Science (Advanced), The University of Queensland
  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland

Research interests

  • Investigating food structure and how it affects digestibility and fermentability.

    Characterising starch and dietary fibres and exploring how they change in response to differences in processing conditions. How does food architecture affect the digestibility and fermentability of food and feeds. Using spectroscopy and analytical chemistry techniques to explore the composition and structures of food and feeds. Determining how the interaction of plant cell wall polysaccharides influences their structure and function with particular focus on the interactions of cellulose hemicelluloses. How the density and solubility of plant cell wall components drives fermentability.

Research impacts

Over the last twenty years (13 years FTE) I have been part of many multi-disciplinary teams working with industry, government and fellow university based researchers nationally and internationally. For Six years as part of the CSIRO Food Futures Flagship and then for 7 years as a member of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Cell walls, a team of over 80 researchers, based at UA, UM, ANSTO and international collaborators in the UK and Sweden. These collaborations lead to many multi-disciplinary publications with a focus of polysaccharide structure and function. Using NMR, I established new methods for polysaccharide structure analysis and increased our understanding of complex plant cell wall structure relationships.

In 2005 I was awarded a UQ New Staff Research Start Up Fund. In 2023 I was a CI on a successful $1.68 million ARC LIEF bid for a national network for magnetic resonance spectroscopy. I am a CI on a recently awarded a $788, 130 ARC Linkage grant, LP240100343, in this project I will lead the activities in polysaccharide structure and characterisation. As a result of my interest in plant polysaccharides, I was voted Vice Chair of Australasian Grain Science Association (AGSA) and was appointed 2025 AGSA Brisbane conference chair.

Works

Search Professor Bernadine Flanagan’s works on UQ eSpace

129 works between 1999 and 2026

1 - 20 of 129 works

2026

Journal Article

The effect of resistant starch type 1, delivered as intact chickpea cells, on intestinal health and blood pressure

Xiong, Weiyan, Jama, Hamdi A., Flanagan, Bernadine M., Peh, Alex, Antonacci, Simona, Xu, Chudan, Dhital, Sushil and Marques, Francine Z. (2026). The effect of resistant starch type 1, delivered as intact chickpea cells, on intestinal health and blood pressure. Food Hydrocolloids, 172 111878, 111878. doi: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111878

The effect of resistant starch type 1, delivered as intact chickpea cells, on intestinal health and blood pressure

2025

Journal Article

Prebiotic fibre enteral supplementation post allogeneic transplantation; feasibility and impact on the microbiome

Andersen, Sarah, Kennedy, Glen A., Banks, Merrilyn, Flanagan, Bernadine Mary and Henden, Andrea S. (2025). Prebiotic fibre enteral supplementation post allogeneic transplantation; feasibility and impact on the microbiome. Blood Advances, 9 (16), 4167-4179. doi: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2024015703

Prebiotic fibre enteral supplementation post allogeneic transplantation; feasibility and impact on the microbiome

2025

Conference Publication

78. Particle size of cereals shapes piglet gut microbiota during in vitro fermentation

Tran, V.H., Liu, X., Flanagan, B.M., Williams, B.A., Feng, G., Navarro, M., Roura, E., Gidley, M.J., Wu, X., Omaleki, L. and Turni, C. (2025). 78. Particle size of cereals shapes piglet gut microbiota during in vitro fermentation. 16th International Symposium on Digestive Physiology of Pigs (DPP2025), Lake Geneva, WI, United States, 20-23 May 2025. Netherlands: Elsevier BV. doi: 10.1016/j.anscip.2025.07.079

78. Particle size of cereals shapes piglet gut microbiota during in vitro fermentation

2025

Journal Article

18. Improving starch digestion in barley, wheat and maize by xylanase/glucanase, phytase, protease and their combination in an in vitro digestion model

Liu, X., Flanagan, B.M., Roura, E. and Gidley, M.J. (2025). 18. Improving starch digestion in barley, wheat and maize by xylanase/glucanase, phytase, protease and their combination in an in vitro digestion model. Animal - Science proceedings, 16 (2), 315. doi: 10.1016/j.anscip.2025.07.019

18. Improving starch digestion in barley, wheat and maize by xylanase/glucanase, phytase, protease and their combination in an in vitro digestion model

2025

Journal Article

Valorising legume protein extraction side-streams: Isolation and characterisation of fibre-rich and starch-rich co-products from wet fractionation of five legumes

Liu, Ruoxin, Flanagan, Bernadine M., Ratanpaul, Vishal and Gidley, Michael J. (2025). Valorising legume protein extraction side-streams: Isolation and characterisation of fibre-rich and starch-rich co-products from wet fractionation of five legumes. Food Hydrocolloids, 164 111191, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111191

Valorising legume protein extraction side-streams: Isolation and characterisation of fibre-rich and starch-rich co-products from wet fractionation of five legumes

2025

Journal Article

Impact of pectin and alginate gel particle size and concentration on in vitro gut fermentation

Li, Anqi, Shewan, Heather M., Flanagan, Bernadine M., Williams, Barbara A., Mikkelsen, Deirdre and Gidley, Michael J. (2025). Impact of pectin and alginate gel particle size and concentration on in vitro gut fermentation. Food Hydrocolloids, 160 110808. doi: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2024.110808

Impact of pectin and alginate gel particle size and concentration on in vitro gut fermentation

2025

Journal Article

Starch digestion enhancement by phytase, protease and xylanase/glucanase in milled maize, wheat and barley grains depends on cereal type and particle size

Liu, Xianyi, Flanagan, Bernadine M., Roura, Eugeni and Gidley, Michael J. (2025). Starch digestion enhancement by phytase, protease and xylanase/glucanase in milled maize, wheat and barley grains depends on cereal type and particle size. Journal of Cereal Science, 122 104107. doi: 10.1016/j.jcs.2025.104107

Starch digestion enhancement by phytase, protease and xylanase/glucanase in milled maize, wheat and barley grains depends on cereal type and particle size

2025

Journal Article

Nutritional, functional and rheological properties of bunya nut flour as a versatile gluten-free option

Moura Nadolny, Jaqueline, Flanagan, Bernadine M., Shewan, Heather M., Smyth, Heather E., Best, Odette and Stokes, Jason R. (2025). Nutritional, functional and rheological properties of bunya nut flour as a versatile gluten-free option. Food Research International, 202 115627, 1-14. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.115627

Nutritional, functional and rheological properties of bunya nut flour as a versatile gluten-free option

2025

Journal Article

Factors affecting plant food particle behaviour during in vitro colonic microbial fermentation

Yao, Hong, Flanagan, Bernadine M., Williams, Barbara A., Mikkelsen, Deirdre and Gidley, Michael J. (2025). Factors affecting plant food particle behaviour during in vitro colonic microbial fermentation. Trends in Food Science and Technology, 155 104802, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.tifs.2024.104802

Factors affecting plant food particle behaviour during in vitro colonic microbial fermentation

2024

Journal Article

Differential effects of pectin-based dietary fibre type and gut microbiota composition on in vitro fermentation outcomes

Yao, Hong, Flanagan, Bernadine M., Williams, Barbara A., Wu, Xiyang, Mikkelsen, Deirdre and Gidley, Michael J. (2024). Differential effects of pectin-based dietary fibre type and gut microbiota composition on in vitro fermentation outcomes. Carbohydrate Polymers, 339 122284, 122284. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.122284

Differential effects of pectin-based dietary fibre type and gut microbiota composition on in vitro fermentation outcomes

2024

Journal Article

Biomass attachment and microbiota shifts during porcine faecal in vitro fermentation of almond and macadamia nuts differing in particle sizes

Bermudez, Cindy, Yao, Hong, Widaningrum, Williams, Barbara A., Flanagan, Bernadine M., Gidley, Michael J. and Mikkelsen, Deirdre (2024). Biomass attachment and microbiota shifts during porcine faecal in vitro fermentation of almond and macadamia nuts differing in particle sizes. Food and Function, 15 (5), 2406-2421. doi: 10.1039/d3fo03612j

Biomass attachment and microbiota shifts during porcine faecal in vitro fermentation of almond and macadamia nuts differing in particle sizes

2024

Journal Article

Near infrared spectroscopy combined with chemometrics as tool to monitor starch hydrolysis

Visnupriyan, R., Flanagan, B.M., Harper, K.J. and Cozzolino, D. (2024). Near infrared spectroscopy combined with chemometrics as tool to monitor starch hydrolysis. Carbohydrate Polymers, 324 121469, 121469. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.121469

Near infrared spectroscopy combined with chemometrics as tool to monitor starch hydrolysis

2024

Journal Article

In vitro fermentation characteristics of fruit and vegetable juicing wastes using human fecal inoculum are determined by cell wall architecture

Widaningrum, Flanagan, Bernadine M., Williams, Barbara A., Sonni, Francesca, Mikkelsen, Deirdre and Gidley, Michael J. (2024). In vitro fermentation characteristics of fruit and vegetable juicing wastes using human fecal inoculum are determined by cell wall architecture. Food Hydrocolloids, 146 (Part A) 109205, 109205. doi: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2023.109205

In vitro fermentation characteristics of fruit and vegetable juicing wastes using human fecal inoculum are determined by cell wall architecture

2024

Journal Article

Bringing back a forgotten legume—sensory profiles of Australian native wattleseeds reveal potential for novel food applications

Jacob, Sera Susan, Flanagan, Bernadine M., Williams, Barbara A., Brown, Rayleen, Hickey, Sarah, Gidley, Michael J. and Smyth, Heather E. (2024). Bringing back a forgotten legume—sensory profiles of Australian native wattleseeds reveal potential for novel food applications. Journal of Food Science, 89 (1), 656-670. doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.16860

Bringing back a forgotten legume—sensory profiles of Australian native wattleseeds reveal potential for novel food applications

2023

Conference Publication

Retracing ‘food’ steps- exploring Australia’s native legumes for novel food applications

Jacob, Sera Susan, Gidley, Mike, Smyth, Heather, Flanagan, Bernadine, Williams, Barbara and Hickey, Sarah (2023). Retracing ‘food’ steps- exploring Australia’s native legumes for novel food applications. 7th International Conference on Food Structures, Digestion and Health, Queenstown, New Zealand, 14-17 November 2023.

Retracing ‘food’ steps- exploring Australia’s native legumes for novel food applications

2023

Journal Article

Plant cell wall composition modulates the gut microbiota and metabolites in in-vitro fermentation

Xiong, Weiyan, Devkota, Lavaraj, Flanagan, Bernadine M., Gu, Zhipeng, Zhang, Bin and Dhital, Sushil (2023). Plant cell wall composition modulates the gut microbiota and metabolites in in-vitro fermentation. Carbohydrate Polymers, 316 121074, 121074. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.121074

Plant cell wall composition modulates the gut microbiota and metabolites in in-vitro fermentation

2023

Journal Article

Enzymatic arabinose depletion of wheat arabinoxylan regulates in vitro fermentation profiles and potential microbial degraders

Yao, Hong, Flanagan, Bernadine M., Williams, Barbara A., Ismail, Munirah, Ersya, Astrada Dyna, Gidley, Michael J. and Mikkelsen, Deirdre (2023). Enzymatic arabinose depletion of wheat arabinoxylan regulates in vitro fermentation profiles and potential microbial degraders. Food Hydrocolloids, 142 108743, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2023.108743

Enzymatic arabinose depletion of wheat arabinoxylan regulates in vitro fermentation profiles and potential microbial degraders

2023

Journal Article

Using mid infrared spectroscopy combined with chemometrics to determine digested starch and maltose concentration during in‐vitro digestion of starches

Visnupriyan, Ramanah, Flanagan, Bernadine, Harper, Karen and Cozzolino, Daniel (2023). Using mid infrared spectroscopy combined with chemometrics to determine digested starch and maltose concentration during in‐vitro digestion of starches. International Journal of Food Science and Technology, 58 (9), 4675-4682. doi: 10.1111/ijfs.16573

Using mid infrared spectroscopy combined with chemometrics to determine digested starch and maltose concentration during in‐vitro digestion of starches

2023

Journal Article

Composition and functional profiles of human faecal microbiota fermenting plant-based food particles are related to water-holding capacity more than particle size

Yao, Hong, Williams, Barbara A., Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Flanagan, Bernadine M. and Gidley, Michael J. (2023). Composition and functional profiles of human faecal microbiota fermenting plant-based food particles are related to water-holding capacity more than particle size. Food Hydrocolloids, 141 108714, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2023.108714

Composition and functional profiles of human faecal microbiota fermenting plant-based food particles are related to water-holding capacity more than particle size

2023

Journal Article

Lactate and buyrate proportions, methanogen growth and gas production during in vitro dietary fibre fermentation all depend on fibre concentration

Yao, Hong, Flanagan, Bernadine M., Williams, Barbara A., Mikkelsen, Deirdre and Gidley, Michael J. (2023). Lactate and buyrate proportions, methanogen growth and gas production during in vitro dietary fibre fermentation all depend on fibre concentration. Food Hydrocolloids, 134 108061, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2022.108061

Lactate and buyrate proportions, methanogen growth and gas production during in vitro dietary fibre fermentation all depend on fibre concentration

Funding

Current funding

  • 2025 - 2028
    Chemical and mechanical modification of starch-based packaging materials
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2024 - 2025
    A national network for magnetic resonance spectroscopy
    ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities
    Open grant
  • 2005 - 2007
    Study of Iron Chelation in Rice
    UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund
    Open grant

Supervision

Availability

Dr Bernadine Flanagan is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

Completed supervision

Media

Enquiries

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