Gilbert Laboratory

In the Gilbert Laboratory at the CCRC, we are primarily interested in how microbes deconstruct complex carbohydrates found within plant cell biomass and the human diet. Glycophilic (or “sugar-loving”) bacteria target and metabolize these structural fibers with an impressive arsenal of carbohydrate active enzymes. The end result of these complex pathways is the production of smaller metabolites that can be transported inside the bacterial cell and utilized as energy sources. To provide a better understanding of how these processes work in nature, we study these enzymes at the molecular level using a combination of biochemical and structural approaches. Our hope ultimately is to understand the complicated interplay between intestinal bacteria and their host, and to harness microbial enzymes as biocatalysts in the pursuit of efficient and sustainable second generation biofuels.