Duke University · GeneticsValdivia Lab
Raphael H Valdivia · Durham, North Carolina
Research Focus
Dr. Raphael H. Valdivia's lab at Duke University focuses on studying the beneficial gut bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila, which plays an important role in our metabolic and immune health. The lab investigates how this microbe binds to and utilizes mucin, a key component of our gut environment. By employing advanced genetic and proteomic techniques, researchers aim to uncover the detailed mechanisms behind mucin acquisition and digestion, which could enhance our understanding of probiotic therapies.
Akkermansia muciniphilamucin bindinggut microbiomeprobioticsmetabolic healthimmunological healthgenetic methodsproteomic technologiesgut colonizationmucosal surfaces
Research Aims
5AIM 01Explore the molecular mechanisms of mucin binding by Akkermansia.
AIM 02Characterize the novel mucin transporter discovered in A. muciniphila.
AIM 03Investigate the interaction between mucin transporters and mucin hydrolases.
AIM 04Define the role of specific proteins on the surface of Akkermansia.
AIM 05Assess how mucin metabolism influences microbial competition in the gut.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturegenetic manipulationproteomicsfluorescence microscopyflow cytometrybacterial culture techniquesmolecular cloningsequencing techniquesmicrobial assaysdata interpretation
Output against the department
Publications174top 46% of dept.119th of 259
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations12ktop 43% of dept.112th of 259
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.