Bas E. Dutilh

Research Statement

AI generated · Oct 26, 2026

Bas E. Dutilh's research centres on the computational and ecological study of microbial and viral communities, particularly through metagenomics. His most-cited lead-author work includes a bacterial driver–passenger model for colorectal cancer, which reframed how gut microbes may contribute to tumour development, and the discovery of a highly abundant bacteriophage in human faecal metagenomes, a virus found by mining previously unassigned sequence. Related work spans computational prediction of bacteriophage–host relationships and molecular determinants of bacteriophage host range, alongside methods such as CAT and BAT for robust taxonomic classification of uncharted microbial sequences. Earlier contributions include middle-author roles in nitrite-driven anaerobic methane oxidation by oxygenic bacteria and in deciphering the evolution and metabolism of an anammox bacterium from a community genome, both of which helped establish genome-resolved approaches to uncultured microbes. He also contributed to community standards such as MIUViG, minimum information guidelines for uncultivated virus genomes, and to large-scale surveys of globally abundant ocean viruses. No software, datasets, grants or patents are indexed beyond these publications. Across these works, the through-line is a shift from cultured isolates to sequence-resolved ecology, linking viral discovery, host prediction and microbial community function.

Most Cited Works

Nitrite-driven anaerobic methane oxidation by oxygenic bacteria

Katharina F Ettwig, Margaret K Butler, Denis Le Paslier, Eric Pelletier, Sophie Mangenot, Marcel M M Kuypers, Frank Schreiber, Bas E Dutilh, Johannes Zedelius, Dirk de Beer, Jolein Gloerich, Hans J C T Wessels, Theo van Alen, Francisca Luesken, Ming L Wu, Katinka T van de Pas-Schoonen, Huub J M Op den Camp, Eva M Janssen-Megens, Kees-Jan Francoijs, Henk Stunnenberg, Jean Weissenbach, Mike S M Jetten, Marc Strous

Nature2010

1,864Citations

Research Areas

Genomics and Phylogenetic StudiesBacteriophages and microbial interactionMicrobial Community Ecology and PhysioloGut microbiota and healthVirology and Viral Diseases

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Sources

Research Statement

Most Cited Works

Nitrite-driven anaerobic methane oxidation by oxygenic bacteria

Research Areas

Deciphering the evolution and metabolism of an anammox bacterium from a community genome

Changes to taxonomy and the International Code of Virus Classification and Nomenclature ratified by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (2018)

A bacterial driver–passenger model for colorectal cancer: beyond the usual suspects

Ecogenomics and potential biogeochemical impacts of globally abundant ocean viruses