![Dr Deirdre Mikkelsen](/sites/default/files/profiles/972.jpeg)
Overview
Background
United Nations (UN) member states in 2015 agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Dr Deirdre Mikkelsen's postition as a Teacihng and Research Acacemic contributes towards the following UN SDGs:
GOAL 2 - ZERO HUNGER
GOAL 3 - GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
GOAL 4 - QUALITY EDUCATION
GOAL 12 - RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION
GOAL 13 - CLIMATE ACTION
GOAL 15 - LIFE ON LAND
Deirdre is a Microbiologist with experience in molecular microbial ecology techniques, bioinformatics and fermentation microbiology.
Deirdre has a B.Sc with First Class Honours in Microbiology (1999) and PhD in Microbiology (2005) from The University of Queensland (UQ, Australia). She worked at the Advanced Wastewater Management Centre (UQ; 2005), until moving to the Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences (CNAFS) in 2006. She worked as Postdoctoral Research Fellowship and Research Fellow in CNAFS, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, UQ. Deirdre joined the School of Agriculture and Food Susstainability in 2019 as a Teaching and Research Academic, and is presently a Senior Lecturer in Food Science. She course coordinates and lectures FOOD2000 Food Science, FOOD3017 Food Safety & Quality Management and the work integrated learning course FOOD7021 Professional Experience. Deirdre's research is molecular microbial ecology and biopolymer science-based, aiming to provide a mechanistic understanding of how foods, diets and nutrients influence the host gut microbiota. Deirdre has 75 peer-review publications with an h-index of 26 and 2746 citations.
Deirdre is a Member of the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST) and sits on the Queensland Branch Committee. She is also a Member of the Australian Society for Microbiology (ASM). Deirdre is part of the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFOST) Food Safety Working Committee, in an education-focused role.
Availability
- Dr Deirdre Mikkelsen is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor (Honours) of Microbiology, The University of Queensland
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Research impacts
Deirdre is a passionate microbiologist, with a strong research background in molecular microbial ecology and biopolymer science (construction and fermentation of “model” dietary fibres). Her research predominantly focuses on how food components are broken down by the host’s gut microbiota, be it in human and/or monogastric animal models, and understanding their role in promoting/maintaining host health.
Specifically, hes has worked on:
i) modelling plant cell walls of cereals and grasses;
ii) investigating the fermentability of cell wall components as potential prebiotics;
iii) developing molecular microbiology techniques to investigate gut microbe-dietary fibre interactions; and
iv) investigating how do plant cell walls/dietary fibres alter the gut microbiota in terms of diversity and relative verses absolute abundances.
Over 80% of Deirdre's publicatons are in the top 25% of journals (Q1 journals) in that subject category.To date, she has 75 peer-review publications, and an h-index of 26, with 2746 citations. Her most exciting achievement was a Nature Communications publication in 2020 with CNAFS and KTH Sweden colleagues.
Works
Search Professor Deirdre Mikkelsen’s works on UQ eSpace
2020
Journal Article
In vitro fermentation outcomes of arabinoxylan and galactoxyloglucan depend on fecal inoculum more than substrate chemistry
Feng, Guangli, Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Hoedt, Emily C., Williams, Barbara A., Flanagan, Bernadine M., Morrison, Mark and Gidley, Michael J. (2020). In vitro fermentation outcomes of arabinoxylan and galactoxyloglucan depend on fecal inoculum more than substrate chemistry. Food and Function, 11 (9), 7892-7904. doi: 10.1039/d0fo01103g
2020
Journal Article
Fruit and vegetable insoluble dietary fibre in vitro fermentation characteristics depend on cell wall type
Widaningrum, Flanagan, Bernadine M., Williams, Barbara A., Sonni, Francesca, Mikkelsen, Deirdre and Gidley, Michael J. (2020). Fruit and vegetable insoluble dietary fibre in vitro fermentation characteristics depend on cell wall type. Bioactive Carbohydrates and Dietary Fibre, 23 100223, 100223. doi: 10.1016/j.bcdf.2020.100223
2020
Journal Article
Independent fermentation and metabolism of dietary polyphenols associated with a plant cell wall model
Phan, A. D. T., Williams, B. A., Netzel, G., Mikkelsen, D., D'Arcy, B. R. and Gidley, M. J. (2020). Independent fermentation and metabolism of dietary polyphenols associated with a plant cell wall model. Food and Function, 11 (3), 2218-2230. doi: 10.1039/c9fo02987g
2020
Journal Article
Purified plant cell walls with adsorbed polyphenols alter porcine faecal bacterial communities during in vitro fermentation
Grant, Lucas J., Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Phan, Anh Dao T., Kang, Seungha, Ouwerkerk, Diane, Klieve, Athol V., Gidley, Mike J. and Williams, Barbara (2020). Purified plant cell walls with adsorbed polyphenols alter porcine faecal bacterial communities during in vitro fermentation. Food and Function, 11 (1), 834-845. doi: 10.1039/c9fo02428j
2020
Book Chapter
Formation of cellulose-based composites with hemicelluloses and pectins using Komagataeibacter fermentation
Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Lopez-Sanchez, Patricia, Wang, Dongjie and Gidley, Michael J. (2020). Formation of cellulose-based composites with hemicelluloses and pectins using Komagataeibacter fermentation. The plant cell wall: methods and protocols. (pp. 73-87) New York, NY, United States: Humana Press. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0621-6_5
2020
Journal Article
High amylose wheat starch structures display unique fermentability characteristics, microbial community shifts and enzyme degradation profiles
Bui, Alexander T., Williams, Barbara A., Hoedt, Emily C., Morrison, Mark, Mikkelsen, Deirdre and Gidley, Michael J. (2020). High amylose wheat starch structures display unique fermentability characteristics, microbial community shifts and enzyme degradation profiles. Food and Function, 11 (6), 5635-5646. doi: 10.1039/d0fo00198h
2019
Journal Article
Whole fruit pulp (mango) and a soluble fibre (pectin) impact bacterial diversity and abundance differently within the porcine large intestine
Grant, Lucas J., Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Ouwerkerk, Diane, Klieve, Athol V., Gidley, Michael J. and Williams, Barbara A. (2019). Whole fruit pulp (mango) and a soluble fibre (pectin) impact bacterial diversity and abundance differently within the porcine large intestine. Bioactive Carbohydrates and Dietary Fibre, 19 100192, 100192. doi: 10.1016/j.bcdf.2019.100192
2019
Journal Article
“Dietary fibre”: moving beyond the “soluble/insoluble” classification for monogastric nutrition, with an emphasis on humans and pigs
Williams, Barbara A., Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Flanagan, Bernadine M. and Gidley, Michael J. (2019). “Dietary fibre”: moving beyond the “soluble/insoluble” classification for monogastric nutrition, with an emphasis on humans and pigs. Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology, 10 (1) 45, 45. doi: 10.1186/s40104-019-0350-9
2019
Journal Article
Microbial enzymatic degradation of tamarind galactoxyloglucan and wheat arabinoxylan by a porcine faecal inoculum
Feng, Guangli, Flanagan, Bernadine M., Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Williams, Barbara A. and Gidley, Michael J. (2019). Microbial enzymatic degradation of tamarind galactoxyloglucan and wheat arabinoxylan by a porcine faecal inoculum. Bioactive Carbohydrates and Dietary Fibre, 18 100183, 100183. doi: 10.1016/j.bcdf.2019.100183
2019
Journal Article
High Molecular Weight Mixed-Linkage Glucan as a Mechanical and Hydration Modulator of Bacterial Cellulose: Characterization by Advanced NMR Spectroscopy
Muñoz-García, Juan C., Corbin, Kendall R., Hussain, Haider, Gabrielli, Valeria, Koev, Todor, Iuga, Dinu, Round, Andrew N., Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Gunning, Patrick A., Warren, Frederick J. and Khimyak, Yaroslav Z. (2019). High Molecular Weight Mixed-Linkage Glucan as a Mechanical and Hydration Modulator of Bacterial Cellulose: Characterization by Advanced NMR Spectroscopy. Biomacromolecules, 20 (11) acs.biomac.9b01070, 4180-4190. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.9b01070
2019
Conference Publication
Hydrogels of bacterial cellulose and wood hemicelluloses as a model of plant secondary cell walls
Berglund, Jennie, Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Flanagan, Bernadine, Dhital, Sushil, Henriksson, Gunnar, Lindstrom, Mikael, Yakubov, Gleb, Gidley, Michael and Vilaplana, Francisco (2019). Hydrogels of bacterial cellulose and wood hemicelluloses as a model of plant secondary cell walls. National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), Orlando, Florida, 31 March - 4 April 2019. Washington, DC, United States: American Chemical Society.
2018
Journal Article
Extracellular depolymerisation triggers fermentation of tamarind xyloglucan and wheat arabinoxylan by a porcine faecal inoculum
Feng, Guangli, Flanagan, Bernadine M., Williams, Barbara A., Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Yu, Wenwen and Gidley, Michael J. (2018). Extracellular depolymerisation triggers fermentation of tamarind xyloglucan and wheat arabinoxylan by a porcine faecal inoculum. Carbohydrate Polymers, 201, 575-582. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2018.08.089
2018
Journal Article
Mechanical properties of bacterial cellulose synthesised by diverse strains of the genus Komagataeibacter
Chen, Si-Qian, Lopez-Sanchez, Patricia, Wang, Dongjie, Mikkelsen, Deirdre and Gidley, Michael J. (2018). Mechanical properties of bacterial cellulose synthesised by diverse strains of the genus Komagataeibacter. Food Hydrocolloids, 81, 87-95. doi: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2018.02.031
2018
Journal Article
Food starch structure impacts gut microbiome composition
Warren, Frederick J., Fukuma, Naoki M., Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Flanagan, Bernadine M., Williams, Barbara A., Lisle, Allan T., Ó Cuív, Páraic, Morrison, Mark and Gidley, Michael J. (2018). Food starch structure impacts gut microbiome composition. mSphere, 3 (3) e00086-18. doi: 10.1128/mSphere.00086-18
2018
Journal Article
Mechanisms of utilisation of arabinoxylans by a porcine faecal inoculum: competition and co-operation
Feng, Guangli, Flanagan, Bernadine M., Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Williams, Barbara A., Yu, Wenwen, Gilbert, Robert G and Gidley, Michael J (2018). Mechanisms of utilisation of arabinoxylans by a porcine faecal inoculum: competition and co-operation. Scientific Reports, 8 (1) 4546, 4546. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-22818-4
2017
Journal Article
Gut fermentation of dietary fibres: physico-chemistry of plant cell walls and implications for health
Williams, Barbara A., Grant, Lucas J., Gidley, Michael J. and Mikkelsen, Deirdre (2017). Gut fermentation of dietary fibres: physico-chemistry of plant cell walls and implications for health. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 18 (10) 2203, 2203. doi: 10.3390/ijms18102203
2017
Journal Article
Multi-scale characterisation of deuterated cellulose composite hydrogels reveals evidence for different interaction mechanisms with arabinoxylan, mixed-linkage glucan and xyloglucan
Martinez-Sanz, Marta, Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Flanagan, Bernadine M., Gidley, Michael J. and Gilbert, Elliot P. (2017). Multi-scale characterisation of deuterated cellulose composite hydrogels reveals evidence for different interaction mechanisms with arabinoxylan, mixed-linkage glucan and xyloglucan. Polymer, 124, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.polymer.2017.07.036
2017
Journal Article
Effects of tea extracts on the colonization behaviour of Candida species: attachment inhibition and biofilm enhancement
Wang, Yi, Bandara, H. M. H. N., Mikkelsen, Deirdre and Samaranayake, Lakshman P. (2017). Effects of tea extracts on the colonization behaviour of Candida species: attachment inhibition and biofilm enhancement. Journal of Medical Microbiology, 66 (8), 1244-1252. doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.000555
2017
Journal Article
Optimizing prednisolone loading into distiller’s dried grain kafirin microparticles, and in vitro release for oral delivery
Lau, Esther T. L., Johnson, Stuart K., Williams, Barbara, Mikkelsen, Deirdre, McCourt, Elizabeth, Stanley, Roger, Mereddy, Ram, Halley, Peter J. and Steadman, Kathryn (2017). Optimizing prednisolone loading into distiller’s dried grain kafirin microparticles, and in vitro release for oral delivery. Pharmaceutics, 9 (2) 17, 17. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics9020017
2017
Journal Article
Characterisation of bacterial cellulose from diverse Komagataeibacter strains and their application to construct plant cell wall analogues
Chen, Si-Qian, Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Lopez-Sanchez, Patricia, Wang, Dongjie, Martinez-Sanz, Marta, Gilbert, Elliot P., Flanagan, Bernadine M. and Gidley, Michael J. (2017). Characterisation of bacterial cellulose from diverse Komagataeibacter strains and their application to construct plant cell wall analogues. Cellulose, 24 (3), 1211-1226. doi: 10.1007/s10570-017-1203-3
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Deirdre Mikkelsen is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
Microbiota interactions and functionality in response to nut consumption and in vitro fermentation
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Bernadine Flanagan, Professor Mike Gidley
-
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding the relationship between the shape, size and local density of food gels and their functionality in vitro
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Bernadine Flanagan, Dr Heather Shewan, Professor Mike Gidley
-
Doctor Philosophy
Evaluation of Integrated Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance in South and South East Asian Countries
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Peter Sly, Dr Nicholas Clark, Professor Ricardo Soares Magalhaes
-
Doctor Philosophy
The role of dopamine in the regulation of gastrointestinal health in horses with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Justine Gibson, Dr Allison Stewart, Associate Professor François-René Bertin, Dr Viviana Gonzalez Astudillo
-
Doctor Philosophy
Soil biology impacts on sustainability and productivity of high value vegetable cropping systems
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Alwyn Williams, Professor Victor Galea
-
Doctor Philosophy
Optimising and industrialising black soldier fly (BSF) production -redirecting food waste to livestock feed production using insects
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Daniel Cozzolino, Professor Louw Hoffman
-
Doctor Philosophy
Epidemiology and control of canine skin and ear conditions in Australia
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Ricardo Soares Magalhaes, Dr Erika Meler, Dr Justine Gibson
Completed supervision
-
2017
Doctor Philosophy
Changes to gut bacteria composition and diversity by the addition of soluble dietary fibres to porcine diets: human health implications.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Mike Gidley
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Dietary fibre concentration and particle size drive in vitro gut microbial fermentation behaviours
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Bernadine Flanagan, Professor Mike Gidley
-
2022
Master Philosophy
Characterisation of a synbiotic product and its impact on human gastrointestinal microbiota
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Mark Turner, Associate Professor Nidhi Bansal
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Mechanisms of Resistant Starch Breakdown by Gut Microbiota Using High Amylose Wheat
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Mark Morrison, Professor Mike Gidley
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
In Vitro Fermentation of Insoluble Dietary Fibers and Undigested Fractions from Plant Food Sources
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Bernadine Flanagan, Professor Mike Gidley
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
In vitro gut microbial fermentation of models for plant dietary fibre
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Bernadine Flanagan, Professor Mike Gidley
-
2019
Doctor Philosophy
BACTERIAL MEDIATED ENZYMATIC METABOLISM OF ARABINOXYLAN AND GALACTOXYLOGLUCAN UNDER IN VITRO FERMENTATION CONDITIONS
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Bernadine Flanagan, Professor Mike Gidley
-
2018
Doctor Philosophy
Characterisation of cellulose produced by different Komagataeibacter strains: Towards an improved plant cell wall model
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Mike Gidley
-
2017
Doctor Philosophy
Fruit components and their effects on the gastrointestinal bacterial community
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Mike Gidley
-
2012
Doctor Philosophy
The role of the plant cell wall on the bioaccessibility of anthocyanins and phenolic acids released from fruits and vegetables.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Mike Gidley
Media
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