Professor Douwe van Sinderen holds an MSc degree in Biochemistry and a PhD degree (1994) in Molecular Genetics (University of Groningen, The Netherlands). In 1996 was appointed as academic staff member of the School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Ireland. He holds an SFI Investigator award since 2003 (renewed in 2008 and 2014), while he is also a Principal Investigator of the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre (APC), which is a multi-institutional and cross-disciplinary research centre related to gut health and nutrition, funded by Science Foundation Ireland. Research interests include the comparative genomics and molecular biology of bacteriophages infecting lactic acid bacteria, in particular Lactococcus lactis, Streptococcus thermophilus and certain Lactobacillus species. Furthermore, a significant part of his research activities is dedicated to comparative and functional genomics of bifidobacteria, which represent common gut commensals of mammals, including humans, with many reported health benefits. He has been principal investigator and/or co-ordinator of various EU funded projects, as well as projects funded through various national and international funding agencies and industries, and has served on various national advisory boards. He is a co-author of over 250 peer-reviewed papers, over 15 book chapters, editor of 2 books, and listed as an (co-)inventor of 6 patents (see below for further details). His current Web of Science-measured h-index is 49 (measured by Google Scholar: h-index 53).

Research interests and expertise. Genetics and genomics of lactic acid bacteria and their infecting bacteriophages; comparative and functional genomics of bifidobacteria; antimicrobial activities produced by lactic acid bacteria (including anti-fungal compounds and bacteriophage-derived enzymes). Bioinformatics, gene regulation in Gram positive bacteria, bacteriophage resistance. Research activities. Current research activities include the molecular biology and comparative genomics of bacteriophages infecting lactic acid bacteria that are used for the production of fermented foods (e.g. cheese, yoghurt). In particular the research is aimed at understanding phage-host interactions and the development of novel anti-phage strategies. In addition, research is ongoing to study anti-fungal activities produced by lactic acid bacteria.Furthermore, within the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, research is focused on comparative and functional genomics of bifidobacteria in order to understand how these microbes, which represent the dominant bacteria in breast-fed infants, can colonize and interact with their (human) host to elicit beneficial activities. In particular, we study bifidobacterial carbohydrate mechanism in order to understand how diet may influence the presence and activity of bifidobacteria. We are also investigating how specific bifidobacterial macromolecules, such as pili and EPS, facilitate gut colonisation, pathogen exclusion and immune-modulation.Publications. For a complete list of publications, including citation and h-index metrics, see:http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=s4-6_RQAAAAJ&hl=en orhttp://www.researcherid.com/