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., Hassan, Y.I., Li, X.-Z., and Zhou, T. (2015). "Devosia epidermidihirudinis strain E84, whole genome shotgun sequencing project; GenBank: LANJ00000000.1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/assembly/GCF_000971295.1".
2015 - View publication details
1st International Conference on Necrotic Enteritis in Poultry; June 10-12, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2015 - View publication details
Hassan, Y.I., Lepp, D., Li, X.Z., Zhou, T. (2015). Insights into the hydrocarbon tolerance of two Devosia isolates, D. chinhatensis strain IPL18T and D. geojensis strain BD-c194T, via whole-genome sequence analysis. Genome Announcements, [online] 3(4), http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/genomeA.00890-15
2015 - View publication details
Hassan, Y.I., Li, X.-Z., Lepp, D., and Zhou, T. (2014). "Implementing next-generation sequencing techniques to highlight genetic elements responsible for bio-transforming deoxynivalenol (DON) in Devosia epimeris strain 17-2-E-8.", 11th Annual Guelph Food Safety Seminar (GFSS) Symposium, Guelph, ON, Canada, October 22, 2014.
2014 - View publication details
Hassan, Y.I., Lepp, D., He, J., and Zhou, T. (2014). "Devosia riboflavina strain IFO13584, whole genome shotgun sequencing project. GenBank: JQGC00000000.1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/JQGC00000000."
2014 - View publication details
Yu, Q., Lepp, D., and Gong, J. (2014). "Role of Agr-like quorum sensing and regulation in the pathogenicity of Clostridium perfringens Type A strain CP1", Poultry Health Research Network Research Day, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, November 21, 2014.
2014 - View publication details
Hassan, Y.I., Lepp, D., He, J., and Zhou, T. (2014). "Devosia sp. 17-2-E-8, whole genome shotgun sequencing project. GenBank: JQGB00000000.1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/JQGB00000000."
2014 - View publication details
Monk, J.M., Lepp, D., Zhang, C., Wu, W., Wood, G.A., Robinson, L.E., and Power, K.A. (2014). "A cooked cranberry bean-enriched diet alters the microbiota, improves gut health, and mitigates colitis severity.", 2nd World Congress on Targeting Microbiota: Towards Clinical Revolution, Paris, France, October 2014, pp. 121. (Abstract)
2014 - View publication details
Zarepoor, L., Lu, J.T., Zhang, C., Wu, W., Lepp, D., Robinson, L., Wanasundara, J., Cui, S., Villeneuve, S., Fofana, B., Tsao, R., Wood, G.A., Power, K.A. (2014). Dietary flaxseed intake exacerbates acute colonic mucosal injury and inflammation induced by dextran sodium sulfate, 306(12), http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpgi.00253.2013
2014 - View publication details
Hassan, Y.I., Lepp, D., He, J., Zhou, T. (2014). Draft genome sequences of Devosia sp. strain 17-2-E-8 and Devosia riboflavina strain IFO13584. Genome Announcements, [online] 2(5), http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/genomeA.00994-14
2014 - View publication details
113th General Meeting of American Society for Microbiology; May 18-21, Denver, Colorado, USA.
2013 - View publication details
Lepp, D., Gong, J., Songer, J.G., Boerlin, P., Parreira, V.R., Prescott, J.F. (2013). Identification of accessory genome regions in poultry clostridium perfringens isolates carrying the netB plasmid. Journal of Bacteriology, [online] 195(6), 1152-1166. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JB.01032-12
2013 - View publication details
Islam, R., Zhou, T., Lepp, D., Goodwin, P.H., and Pauls, K.P. (2011). "Sequencing and characterization of a novel trichothecene mycotoxin detoxifying bacterial genome.", 7th Canadian Workshop on Fusarium Head Blight (CWFHB) / Colloque canadien sur la fusariose, Delta Winnipeg Hotel, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, November 27-30, 2011, pp. 96.
2011 - View publication details
MacArthur, I., Parreira, V.R., Lepp, D., Mutharia, L.M., Vazquez-Boland, J.A., Prescott, J.F. (2011). The sensor kinase MprB is required for Rhodococcus equi virulence. Veterinary Microbiology, [online] 147(1-2), 133-141. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2010.06.018
2011 - View publication details
Lepp, D., Roxas, B., Parreira, V.R., Marri, P.R., Rosey, E.L., Gong, J., Songer, J.G., Vedantam, G., Prescott, J.F. (2010). Identification of novel pathogenicity loci in Clostridium perfringens strains that cause Avian necrotic enteritis. PLoS ONE, [online] 5(5), http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0010795
2010 - View publication details
Allen, K.J., Lepp, D., McKellar, R.C., Griffiths, M.W. (2010). Targeted microarray analysis of stationary phase Escherichia coli O157:H7 subjected to disparate nutrient conditions. Journal of Applied Microbiology, [online] 109(6), 2118-2127. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2672.2010.04843.x
2010 - View publication details
Kostrzynska, M., Carey, C.M., Lepp, D., Ojha, S., and Young, J.C. (2009). "Anti-inflammatory properties of probiotic lactic acid bacteria and their modulatory effect on virulence of food-borne pathogen.", 5th Probiotics, Prebiotics and New Foods Conference, Rome, Italy, September 13-15, 2009.
2009 - View publication details
Gong, J., Griffiths, M.W., Chambers, J.R., Yin, X., Lepp, D., and Prescott, J.F. (2008). Investigation into cell-cell signalling in Clostridium perfringens infection for developing a novel disease-control strategy (Research proposal submitted to the Saskatchewan Chicken Industry Development Fund)., Canada: AAFC Food Research Program, Guelph, ON.
2008 - View publication details
Gong, J. and Lepp, D. (2008). "Ecological and functional genomic studies for control of Clostridium perfringens infection in broiler chickens.", Clostridium perfringens: Epidemiolgy, Diagnosis, Controand Prevention, The Grand Hotel, Devon, UK, December 1-4, 2008.
2008 - View publication details
Lepp, D., Prescott, J.F., Songer, J.G., and Gong, J. (2008). "Development of a Clostridium perfringens Microarray for the Study of Necrotic Enteritis in Poultry.", 2008 Canadian Institute of Food Science & Technology (CIFST) and AAFC Conference, Delta Prince Edward Hotel, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, May 25-27, 2008, P8-11. (Poster)
2008 - View publication details