Dion Lepp, Ph.D.

Biologist

Manager of Guelph RDC genomics lab

Current research and/or projects

Dr. Lepp’s work focuses on the role of the gut microbiota in health and disease, and its modulation by dietary interventions in the context of both humans and production animals. He has also contributed significantly to our understanding of poultry diseases, such as necrotic enteritis, and has developed alternative strategies to control the disease towards limiting the use of antibiotics in poultry production. His work significantly contributes to the growth and profitability of the agri-food sector through the characterization of beneficial food attributes and mitigation of production risks.

Research and/or project statements

Effects of bean-based diets on human cholesterol levels, gut microbiota and associated metabolites
Effects of lentils on gut health and obesity
Development of alternative approaches to control necrotic enteritis in poultry
Identification of bacterial enzymes to detoxify mycotoxins

Professional activities / interests

Next-generation sequencing and bioinformatic analysis, focusing on microbiota analysis, bacterial pathogenomics and transcriptomics
Investigations of the gut microbiota and its role in health and disease of both humans and production animals
Understanding the pathogenesis of poultry necrotic enteritis caused by Clostridium perfringens towards developing alternatives to antibiotics

Education and awards

Ph.D. Pathobiology, University of Guelph, 2012

M.Sc. Molecular Biology and Genetics, University of Guelph, 2000

Key publications

Lepp, D., K. M. Doma, W. Wu, J. Tang, L. Clairmont, T. M. S. Wolever, A. M. Duncan and D. D. Ramdath (2023). Effects of bean consumption on fecal microbiota composition and short-chain fatty acid levels in adults with elevated LDL cholesterol. Canadian Nutrition Society 2023 Annual Conference. Quebec City, QC, Canada, May 4-6.
2023 - View publication details
Liu R, Tse AT, Liu H, Neacsu D, Doma KM, Duncan AM, Shao S, Ramdath D, Lepp D. 2022. A Simple and Effective Method for Extraction and Measurement of Short Chain Fatty Acids in Human Serum by GC-FID, abstr 71st Canadian Society for Microbiology Annual conference, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, June 26 -29, 2022.
2022 - View publication details
Lepp, D., Y. Zhu, X.-Z. Li, L. Clairmont, J. Tang, R. Bobb and T. Zhou (2022). Metagenomic analysis of microbial consortia exhibiting deoxynivalenol (DON) de-epoxidase activity. 71st Annual Conference of the Canadian Society of Microbiologists. Guelph, ON, Canada, June 26-29.
2022 - View publication details
2020 Poultry Science Association Annual Meeting, Webinar Series, July 20-23.
2020 - View publication details
2020 Poultry Science Association Annual Meeting, Webinar Series, July 20-23.
2020 - View publication details
2020 Animal Nutrition Conference of Canada, Webinar Series, May 26-June 11.
2020 - View publication details
Das, Q., Islam, M.R., Lepp, D., Tang, J., Yin, X., Mats, L., Liu, H., Ross, K., Kennes, Y.M., Yacini, H., Warriner, K., Marcone, M.F., Diarra, M.S. (2020). Gut Microbiota, Blood Metabolites, and Spleen Immunity in Broiler Chickens Fed Berry Pomaces and Phenolic-Enriched Extractives. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, [online] 7 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2020.00150
2020 - View publication details
Das, Q., Lepp, D., Yin, X., Ross, K., McCallum, J.L., Warriner, K., Marcone, M.F., Diarra, M.S. (2019). Transcriptional profiling of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis exposed to ethanolic extract of organic cranberry pomace. PLoS ONE, [online] 14(7), http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0219163
2019 - View publication details
Taggar, G., Rehman, M.A., Yin, X., Lepp, D., Ziebell, K., Handyside, P., Boerlin, P., Diarra, M.S. (2018). Antimicrobial-resistant E. Coli from surface waters in southwest Ontario dairy farms. Journal of Environmental Quality, [online] 47(5), 1068-1078. http://dx.doi.org/10.2134/jeq2018.04.0139
2018 - View publication details
Carere, J., Hassan, Y.I., Lepp, D., Zhou, T. (2018). The identification of DepB: An enzyme responsible for the final detoxification step in the deoxynivalenol epimerization pathway in devosia mutans 17-2-E-8. Frontiers in Microbiology, [online] 9(JUL), http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2018.01573
2018 - View publication details
The 10th Clostpath; Aug. 7-10, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
2017 - View publication details
ASM Microbe-2017; June 1-5, New Orleans, LA, USA.
2017 - View publication details
Yu, Q., Lepp, D., Gohari, I.M., Wu, T., Zhou, H., Yin, X., Yu, H., Prescott, J.F., Nie, S.P., Xie, M.Y., Gong, J. (2017). The Agr-like quorum sensing system is required for pathogenesis of necrotic enteritis caused by Clostridium perfringens in poultry. Infection and Immunity, [online] 85(6), http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/IAI.00975-16
2017 - View publication details
Ahad, R., Zhou, T., Lepp, D., Pauls, K.P. (2017). Microbial detoxification of eleven food and feed contaminating trichothecene mycotoxins. BMC Biotechnology, [online] 17(1), http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12896-017-0352-7
2017 - View publication details
Ahad, R., Zhou, T., Lepp, D., Pauls, K.P. (2017). Draft genome sequence of Citrobacter freundii strain A47, resistant to the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol. Genome Announcements, [online] 5(11), http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/genomeA.00019-17
2017 - View publication details
Zhou, H., Lepp, D., Pei, Y., Liu, M., Yin, X., Ma, R., Prescott, J.F., Gong, J. (2017). Influence of pCP1NetB ancillary genes on the virulence of Clostridium perfringens poultry necrotic enteritis strain CP1. Gut Pathogens, [online] 9(1), http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13099-016-0152-y
2017 - View publication details
Lepp, D., Hassan, Y.I., and Zhou, T. (2016). "Comparative genomics of Devosia isolates involved in the biotransformation of the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (http://asmmicrobe.org/images/AbstractsUpdated.pdf).", ASM Microbe 2016, Boston, USA, 16-20 June, 2016, Poster Presentation LB008. (Abstract)
2016 - View publication details
2016 Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs - FOOD SAFETY RESEARCH FORUM; October 26, Guelph, Ontario.
2016 - View publication details
10th Joint INRA-Rowett Symposium "Gut Microbiology: 20 years and counting…"; June 20-23, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
2016 - View publication details
Prescott, J.F., Parreira, V.R., Gohari, I.M., Lepp, D., and Gong, J. (2016). "The pathogenesis of necrotic enteritis in chickens: What we know and what we need to know.", Avian Pathology. doi : 10.1080/03079457.2016.1139688
2016 - View publication details