Robert Allen Britton

Robert Allen Britton, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine. He is a member of the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research. His research focuses on therapeutic microbiology, probiotics, and the role of the human microbiome in health and disease. Britton leads a lab dedicated to translating microbiome research into clinical solutions, employing synthetic biology, microbial ecology, and human organoid technologies.

Education:

• B.S., University of Nebraska-Lincoln (1989)
• Ph.D., Baylor College of Medicine (1996)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship, MIT (2002)

Research Interests:

• Probiotics like Limosilactobacillus reuteri for therapeutic applications
• Interactions between gut hormones (GLP-1, oxytocin, serotonin) and the microbiota
• Synthetic biology for disease diagnosis and treatment
• Microbial ecology of infections, particularly Clostridioides difficile

Notable Projects:

• Developing microbial biosensors for intestinal inflammation
• Engineering probiotics for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis treatment
• Elucidating the role of trehalose in C. difficile epidemics

Awards:

• 2019 Michael E. DeBakey Excellence in Research Award

Grants:

• $12 million NIH grant (2025) for non-antibiotic strategies against bacterial infections

Labs/Teams: The Britton Lab is part of the Alkek Center, emphasizing microbiome research and therapeutic innovation. Current projects include probiotic development, microbial community analysis, and synthetic biology applications.