Robert Britton

Robert Britton is a Professor at the Baylor College of Medicine in the School of Medicine, affiliated with the Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research and the Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology. His Therapeutic Microbiology Laboratory investigates how microbes impact human health through four pillars: Limosilactobacillus reuteri for therapeutics, intestinal hormone-microbiome interactions, synthetic biology for diagnostics, and microbial ecology in infectious disease.

• Research Themes: Microbiome-Host Physiology, Synthetic Biosensors, C. difficile Pathogenesis, Diet-Microbiome Co-evolution
• Grants: $12M NIH award (2018) for microbiome-based infection prevention

The lab employs human organoid technology and microbioreactor arrays to model microbial interactions. Recent work explores probiotic-mediated oxytocin release and bioengineered Kv1.3 channel blockers for autoimmune diseases. A 2025 FASEB Journal study demonstrates L. reuteri's role in gut hormone regulation, while synthetic biology projects target ulcerative colitis and radiation injury via engineered probiotics.

Scientific Recognition:

• 2019 Michael E. DeBakey Excellence in Research Award

Lab Members include MD/PhD candidates, postdoctoral fellows, and technicians working on microbiome-brain interactions, metabolic health interventions, and C. difficile epidemiology. Key collaborations span the National School of Tropical Medicine and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.