University of Oregon · BiochemistryGuillemin Microbiome Lab
Karen J Guillemin · Eugene, Oregon
Research Focus
Dr. Karen Guillemin's lab at the University of Oregon studies how our gut microbiomes influence our metabolic and immune health, particularly through interactions with exercise and social behavior. The lab focuses on engineered probiotics that can mimic the health benefits of exercise, as well as understanding the role of specific bacterial proteins in promoting insulin-producing pancreatic cells. By using models like zebrafish and examining how social interactions shape microbiomes, they aim to uncover new treatments for diabetes and other health issues.
microbiomeexerciseprobioticsBefApancreatic beta cellsmetabolic healthsocial microbiomediabeteszebrafishmitohormesis
Research Aims
3AIM 01Explore how microbiomes can mimic the effects of exercise on metabolic fitness.
AIM 02Investigate the mechanism of BefA in promoting pancreatic beta cell function and proliferation.
AIM 03Study how social interactions influence the assembly and function of microbial communities.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturePCRmicroscopyzebrafish modelsbacterial protein manipulationmetabolic assayscalcium imagingprotein purificationfecal microbiome transplantationdata analysis with R/Python
Output against the department
Publications180top 47% of dept.189th of 402
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations12ktop 40% of dept.160th of 402
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.