Dr Deirdre Mikkelsen
Dr

Deirdre Mikkelsen

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 334 69642

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

Food sciences Microbiology Resources engineering and extractive metallurgy

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.

Search Professor Deirdre Mikkelsen’s works on UQ eSpace

126 works between 2002 and 2025
All (126) Journal Article (85) Book Chapter (3) Conference Publication (37) Other Outputs (1)

41 - 60 of 126 works

2021

Journal Article

Wheat-based food form has a greater effect than amylose content on fermentation outcomes and microbial community shifts in an in vitro fermentation model

Bui, Alexander T., Williams, Barbara A., Murtaza, Nida, Lisle, Allan, Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Morrison, Mark and Gidley, Michael J. (2021). Wheat-based food form has a greater effect than amylose content on fermentation outcomes and microbial community shifts in an in vitro fermentation model. Food Hydrocolloids, 114 106560, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2020.106560

Wheat-based food form has a greater effect than amylose content on fermentation outcomes and microbial community shifts in an in vitro fermentation model

2021

Journal Article

Interaction of cellulose and xyloglucan influences in vitro fermentation outcomes

Lu, Shiyi, Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Flanagan, Bernadine M., Williams, Barbara A. and Gidley, Michael J. (2021). Interaction of cellulose and xyloglucan influences in vitro fermentation outcomes. Carbohydrate Polymers, 258 117698, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.117698

Interaction of cellulose and xyloglucan influences in vitro fermentation outcomes

2021

Journal Article

In vitro fermentation of legume cells and components: Effects of cell encapsulation and starch/protein interactions

Bhattarai, Rewati R., Dhital, Sushil, Williams, Barbara A., Yang, Hong Jian, Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Flanagan, Bernadine M. and Gidley, Michael J. (2021). In vitro fermentation of legume cells and components: Effects of cell encapsulation and starch/protein interactions. Food Hydrocolloids, 113 106538. doi: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2020.106538

In vitro fermentation of legume cells and components: Effects of cell encapsulation and starch/protein interactions

2021

Journal Article

Wheat cell walls and constituent polysaccharides induce similar microbiota profiles upon in vitro fermentation despite different short chain fatty acid end-product levels

Lu, Shiyi, Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Yao, Hong, Williams, Barbara A., Flanagan, Bernadine M. and Gidley, Michael J. (2021). Wheat cell walls and constituent polysaccharides induce similar microbiota profiles upon in vitro fermentation despite different short chain fatty acid end-product levels. Food and Function, 12 (3), 1135-1146. doi: 10.1039/d0fo02509g

Wheat cell walls and constituent polysaccharides induce similar microbiota profiles upon in vitro fermentation despite different short chain fatty acid end-product levels

2020

Journal Article

Multienzyme super-dosing in broiler chicken diets: the implications for gut morphology, microbial profile, nutrient digestibility, and bone mineralization

Madigan-Stretton, Jacoba, Mikkelsen, Deirdre and Soumeh, Elham Assadi (2020). Multienzyme super-dosing in broiler chicken diets: the implications for gut morphology, microbial profile, nutrient digestibility, and bone mineralization. Animals, 11 (1) 1, 1-17. doi: 10.3390/ani11010001

Multienzyme super-dosing in broiler chicken diets: the implications for gut morphology, microbial profile, nutrient digestibility, and bone mineralization

2020

Journal Article

Metabolism of Black Carrot Polyphenols during In Vitro Fermentation is Not Affected by Cellulose or Cell Wall Association

Netzel, Gabriele, Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Flanagan, Bernadine M., Netzel, Michael E., Gidley, Michael J. and Williams, Barbara A. (2020). Metabolism of Black Carrot Polyphenols during In Vitro Fermentation is Not Affected by Cellulose or Cell Wall Association. Foods, 9 (12) 1911, 1911. doi: 10.3390/foods9121911

Metabolism of Black Carrot Polyphenols during In Vitro Fermentation is Not Affected by Cellulose or Cell Wall Association

2020

Journal Article

Prenatal establishment of the foal gut microbiota: a critique of the in utero colonisation hypothesis

Mols, Kirsty L., Boe-Hansen, Gry B., Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Bryden, Wayne L. and Cawdell-Smith, A. Judy (2020). Prenatal establishment of the foal gut microbiota: a critique of the in utero colonisation hypothesis. Animal Production Science, 60 (18), 2080-2092. doi: 10.1071/AN20010

Prenatal establishment of the foal gut microbiota: a critique of the in utero colonisation hypothesis

2020

Journal Article

Cell wall architecture as well as chemical composition determines fermentation of wheat cell walls by a faecal inoculum

Lu, Shiyi, Flanagan, Bernadine M., Williams, Barbara A., Mikkelsen, Deirdre and Gidley, Michael J. (2020). Cell wall architecture as well as chemical composition determines fermentation of wheat cell walls by a faecal inoculum. Food Hydrocolloids, 107 105858, 105858. doi: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2020.105858

Cell wall architecture as well as chemical composition determines fermentation of wheat cell walls by a faecal inoculum

2020

Journal Article

Wood hemicelluloses exert distinct biomechanical contributions to cellulose fibrillar networks

Berglund, Jennie, Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Flanagan, Bernadine M., Dhital, Sushil, Gaunitz, Stefan, Henriksson, Gunnar, Lindström, Mikael E., Yakubov, Gleb E., Gidley, Michael J. and Vilaplana, Francisco (2020). Wood hemicelluloses exert distinct biomechanical contributions to cellulose fibrillar networks. Nature Communications, 11 (1) 4692, 4692. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-18390-z

Wood hemicelluloses exert distinct biomechanical contributions to cellulose fibrillar networks

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

In vitro fermentation outcomes of arabinoxylan and galactoxyloglucan depend on fecal inoculum more than substrate chemistry

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

Fruit and vegetable insoluble dietary fibre in vitro fermentation characteristics depend on cell wall type

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

Independent fermentation and metabolism of dietary polyphenols associated with a plant cell wall model

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

Purified plant cell walls with adsorbed polyphenols alter porcine faecal bacterial communities during in vitro fermentation

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

Formation of cellulose-based composites with hemicelluloses and pectins using Komagataeibacter fermentation

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

High amylose wheat starch structures display unique fermentability characteristics, microbial community shifts and enzyme degradation profiles

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

Whole fruit pulp (mango) and a soluble fibre (pectin) impact bacterial diversity and abundance differently within the porcine large intestine

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

“Dietary fibre”: moving beyond the “soluble/insoluble” classification for monogastric nutrition, with an emphasis on humans and pigs

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

Microbial enzymatic degradation of tamarind galactoxyloglucan and wheat arabinoxylan by a porcine faecal inoculum

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

High Molecular Weight Mixed-Linkage Glucan as a Mechanical and Hydration Modulator of Bacterial Cellulose: Characterization by Advanced NMR Spectroscopy

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.

Hydrogels of bacterial cellulose and wood hemicelluloses as a model of plant secondary cell walls

Current funding

  • 2024 - 2027
    Comprehensive use of whole body computed tomography, microbiome and metabolomics analysis to measure the effects of dietary and exercise interventions on body fat content in dogs
    Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2027
    Sustainable Precision Feeding in Broiler Chickens in Australia
    AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program Nutrition, Gut Health and Environment Research Program
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2026
    Point-of-care microbiome therapy in koalas during antimicrobial treatment for Chlamydia
    Morris Animal Foundation
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2023 - 2025
    Evaluation of bioprotective bacteria to reduce Campylobacter on raw chicken meat at the end of primary processing (Agrifutures funded project led by QLD DAF)
    Queensland Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2024
    Optimising and industrialising black soldier fly (BSF) production: redirecting food waste to livestock feed production using insects
    Fight Food Waste CRC
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2023
    Dopamine as a new diagnostic tool for horses with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction and its effect on the equine intestinal microbiota
    Australian Companion Animal Health Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2021
    Nasal microbiota in shelter dogs and carriage of Staphylococcus spp.
    Canine Research Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2014
    Automated in vitro fermentation gas measurement
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2017
    Use of plant derived compounds to condition piglet intake at weaning and reduce post-weaning use of therapeutics
    CRC for High Integrity Australian Pork
    Open grant
  • 2010 - 2012
    ResTeach 2010 0.2 FTE School of Land,Crop and Food Sciences
    UQ ResTeach
    Open grant

Availability

Dr Deirdre Mikkelsen is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

Completed supervision

Enquiries

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