Biography
Staff Scientist
Microbiome
The foundation of Hilary's work is based upon culturing of the strict anaerobic bacteria that comprise the majority of the human intestinal microbiota. Whole genome sequencing of the isolated bacteria facilitates genomic and metagenomic analyses, this combined with in vitro phenotypic studies leads to functional insights and a move towards establishing causation in different disease states.
We have developed techniques to culture most of the intestinal microbiota. This provides a valuable resource to understand the underlying biology of these health-promoting bacteria and also to study their role in different diseases using in vivo and in vitro models. In addition, these bacteria can be used to develop therapeutics to treat diseases associated with the intestinal microbiota. Hilary is particularly interested in the role of spore-forming bacteria in the human intestinal microbiota, their ecology and evolution, how they differ functionally from non-spore-forming bacteria and how spore-formation promotes transmission of anaerobic bacteria between individuals.
@hilary_browne
Publications
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A human gut bacterial genome and culture collection for improved metagenomic analyses.
Forster SC, Kumar N, Anonye BO, Almeida A, Viciani E et al.
Nature biotechnology 2019;37;2;186-192
PUBMED: 30718869; DOI: 10.1038/s41587-018-0009-7
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Transmission of the gut microbiota: spreading of health.
Browne HP, Neville BA, Forster SC and Lawley TD
Nature reviews. Microbiology 2017;15;9;531-543
PUBMED: 28603278; PMC: 5837012; DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro.2017.50
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Culturing of 'unculturable' human microbiota reveals novel taxa and extensive sporulation.
Browne HP, Forster SC, Anonye BO, Kumar N, Neville BA et al.
Nature 2016;533;7604;543-546
PUBMED: 27144353; PMC: 4890681; DOI: 10.1038/nature17645
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HPMCD: the database of human microbial communities from metagenomic datasets and microbial reference genomes.
Forster SC, Browne HP, Kumar N, Hunt M, Denise H et al.
Nucleic acids research 2016;44;D1;D604-9
PUBMED: 26578596; PMC: 4702862; DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv1216
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Epithelial IL-22RA1-mediated fucosylation promotes intestinal colonization resistance to an opportunistic pathogen.
Pham TA, Clare S, Goulding D, Arasteh JM, Stares MD et al.
Cell host & microbe 2014;16;4;504-16
PUBMED: 25263220; PMC: 4190086; DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2014.08.017
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Functional genomics reveals that Clostridium difficile Spo0A coordinates sporulation, virulence and metabolism.
Pettit LJ, Browne HP, Yu L, Smits WK, Fagan RP et al.
BMC genomics 2014;15;160
