William J. Kenyon, Ph.D.

Professor of Biology, Co-Director of Microbiology Certificate Program, & Biology Internship Coordinator
School of Field Investigations and Experimental Sciences Dr. Perry College of Mathematics, Computing, and Sciences

678-839-4033
wkenyon@wesz1f1nvujIk4NdiFSsltga.edu

Biology Building - Room 283
Office Hours
Please see course syllabi for current office hours.

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William J. Kenyon, Ph.D.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Microbiology (bacterial metabolism, physiology, and genetics; environmental survival strategies of bacteria)

ACADEMIC HISTORY

Dr. William J. Kenyon is currently a full professor in the Biology Program at the University of West Georgia (UWG) where he is also co-director of the Microbiology Certificate Program. Dr. Kenyon graduated from the University of Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri University of Science and Technology) in 1991 with a B.S. in Life Sciences and from The University of Kansas in 1996 with a Ph.D. in Microbiology. Dr. Kenyon has been a faculty member at UWG since 2006 and previously worked as a postdoctoral research scientist in the Division of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (1996-2000) and as a postdoctoral research scientist, an NIH-AREA co-investigator, and a lecturer in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of South Alabama (2000-2006). Dr. Kenyon was also an adjunct lecturer at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama (2005). Dr. Kenyon’s research interests center around the genetic and physiological changes which occur in bacteria in response to environmental stresses. Dr. Kenyon has been a member of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) since 1992 and a member of the Southeastern Branch of the ASM since 2000. Over the course of his career, Dr. Kenyon has taught over 20 different biology courses and has mentored over 100 research students, several of whom have been co-authors on conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications.

CURRENT RESEARCH

Our research laboratory focuses on the cellular physiology, metabolism, and molecular genetics of bacteria in the taxonomic phylum Actinobacteria. This is a diverse group of Gram-positive bacteria often associated with soil and plant environments, and we are currently focusing on species within the genus Cellulomonas. This group of bacteria has a somewhat rare ability to break down cellulose and other plant polysaccharides that are often inaccessible to other organisms which lack cellulose-degrading enzymes. The two species Cellulomonas flavigena and Cellulomonas uda directly attach to insoluble cellulose fibers, grow directly on the cellulose surface as a biofilm, enzymatically digest cellulose into soluble sugars, and produce an extracellular gel-like polysaccharide material called curdlan. Cellulomonas bacteria use the soluble sugars released from cellulose digestion for metabolism and growth. This multi-step process represents a new model for understanding the complex process of biofilm development, and furthermore, curdlan polysaccharide has various biotechnological applications in food science, medicine, and bioremediation. In addition, our lab is also beginning to explore the probiotic potential of bacteria within the genus Cellulomonas.

Our research laboratory is currently investigating the probiotic and prebiotic potential of bacteria in the genus Cellulomonas. The genus Cellulomonas is a group of Gram-positive soil bacteria associated with plants and decaying vegetation. Interestingly, Cellulomonas species (spp.) share several characteristics regarded as important for probiotic microorganisms. Cellulomonas spp. are known for their ability to break down complex carbohydrates. This includes the enzymatic digestion and fermentation of “difficult-to-digest” polysaccharides such as cellulose and xylan as well as other complex carbohydrates referred to as dietary fiber. Such complex carbohydrates are indigestible by the mammalian gastrointestinal tract. However, probiotic strains of bacteria can convert these complex carbohydrates (a.k.a. “prebiotics”) into soluble sugars and short-chain fatty acids, which are more easily metabolized by other beneficial microorganisms in the intestines. In particular, my lab is studying the resistance of Cellulomonas flavigena strain KU1 to varying concentrations of acid and bile to gain insight into how the bacteria survive transit through stomach acid and the harsh conditions of the small intestine. Resistance to acid and bile are regarded as essential characteristics of probiotic organisms. In addition, certain strains of Cellulomonas are a focus of research because they produce an extracellular beta-glucan polysaccharide known as “curdlan”, itself a potential prebiotic polysaccharide similar to beta-glucans found in oats and other plant-based foods. In addition, Cellulomonas spp. were previously shown to have potential as sources of “single-cell protein”, similar to single-cell protein produced from algal species. Therefore, Cellulomonas spp. may possess traits of probiotic bacteria including the ability to digest complex carbohydrates (i.e., prebiotics), resistance to acid and bile, and production of beneficial products such as beta-glucans and single-cell protein. Further research will explore whether Cellulomonas spp. have the ability to colonize the gastrointestinal tract, to prevent the colonization of disease-causing microorganisms in the gastrointestinal environment, and to favorably interact with certain components of the immune system.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Young ES, Kenyon WJ (2023) Interaction of the dye aniline blue with the curdlan-type exopolysaccharide from Cellulomonas flavigena KU (ATCC 53703). Industrial Biotechnology 19(4):204-207

Young ES, Butler JD, Molesworth-Kenyon SJ, Kenyon WJ (2023) Biofilm-mediated fragmentation and degradation of microcrystalline cellulose by Cellulomonas flavigena KU (ATCC 53703). Current Microbiology 80, 200. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-023-03309-w

Kenyon WJ (2017) The cellulomonads as an alternative source of the bacterial exopolysaccharide curdlan. In: Beta-glucans: applications, effects and research. Martha Coleman (ed). Nova Science Publishing, Hauppauge, NY

Siriwardana LS, Gall AR, Buller CS, Esch SW, Kenyon WJ (2011) Factors affecting the accumulation and degradation of curdlan, trehalose and glycogen in cultures of Cellulomonas flavigena strain KU (ATCC 53703). Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 99:681-695

Kenyon WJ, Esch SW, Buller CS (2005) The curdlan-type exopolysaccharide produced by Cellulomonas flavigena KU forms part of an extracellular glycocalyx involved in cellulose degradation. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 87:143-148

Kenyon WJ, Buller CS (2002) Structural analysis of the curdlan-like exopolysaccharide produced by Cellulomonas flavigena KU. Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology 29:200-203

 

  • B.S., Life Sciences, University of Missouri - Rolla
    (now Missouri University of Science & Technology), 1991
  • Ph.D., Microbiology, The University of Kansas, 1996

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Young ES, Kenyon WJ (2023) Interaction of the dye aniline blue with the curdlan-type exopolysaccharide from Cellulomonas flavigena KU (ATCC 53703). Industrial Biotechnology 19(4):204-207

Young ES, Butler JD, Molesworth-Kenyon SJ, Kenyon WJ (2023) Biofilm-mediated fragmentation and degradation of microcrystalline cellulose by Cellulomonas flavigena KU (ATCC 53703). Current Microbiology 80, 200. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-023-03309-w

Kenyon WJ (2017) The cellulomonads as an alternative source of the bacterial exopolysaccharide curdlan. In: Beta-glucans: applications, effects and research. (ed). Nova Science Publishing, Hauppauge, NY

Pittman JR, Kline LC, Kenyon WJ (2015) Carbon-starvation induces cross-resistance to thermal, acid, and oxidative stress in Serratia marcescens. Microorganisms 3:746-758

Spector MP, Kenyon WJ (2012) Resistance and survival strategies of Salmonella enterica to environmental stresses. Food Research International 45:455-481 [View Publication (PDF)]

Kenyon WJ, Spector MP (2012) Response of Salmonella enterica serovars to environmental stresses. In: Stress response of foodborne microorganisms; Advances in Food Safety and Food Microbiology. Wong HC (ed). Nova Science Publishing, Hauppauge, NY

Siriwardana LS, Gall AR, Buller CS, Esch SW, Kenyon WJ (2011) Factors affecting the accumulation and degradation of curdlan, trehalose and glycogen in cultures of Cellulomonas flavigena strain KU (ATCC 53703). Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 99:681-695 [View Publication (PDF)]

Kenyon WJ, Humphreys S, Roberts M, Spector MP (2010) Periplasmic peptidyl-prolyl isomerases SurA and FkpA play an important role in the starvation-stress response (SSR) of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 98:51-63

Kenyon WJ, Nicholson KL, Guillaume E, Pallen MJ, Spector MP (2007) SigmaS-Dependent carbon-starvation induction of pbpG (PBP 7) is required for the starvation-stress response in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Microbiology 153:2148-2158 [View Publication (PDF)]

Kenyon WJ, Thomas SM, Johnson E, Pallen MJ, Spector MP (2005) Shifts from glucose to certain secondary carbon-sources result in activation of the extracytoplasmic sigma factor SigmaE in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Microbiology 151:2373-2383

Kenyon WJ, Esch SW, Buller CS (2005) The curdlan-type exopolysaccharide produced by Cellulomonas flavigena KU forms part of an extracellular glycocalyx involved in cellulose degradation. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 87:143-148 [View Publication (PDF)]

Humphreys S, Rowley G, Stevenson A, Kenyon WJ, Spector MP, Roberts M (2003) Role of periplasmic peptidylprolyl isomerases in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium virulence. Infection and Immunity 71:5386-5388

Kenyon WJ, Buller CS (2002) Structural analysis of the curdlan-like exopolysaccharide produced by Cellulomonas flavigena KU. Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology 29:200-203 [View Publication (PDF)]

Kenyon WJ, Sayers DG, Humphreys S, Roberts M, Spector MP (2002) The starvation-stress response of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium requires SigmaE-, but not CpxR-regulated extracytoplasmic functions. Microbiology 148:113-122

Wang X, Kenyon WJ, Li QX, Mullberg J, Hutt-Fletcher LM (1998) Epstein-barr virus uses different complexes of glycoproteins gH and gL to infect B lymphocytes and epithelial cells. Journal of Virology 72:5552-5558

Kenyon WJ (1996) Structure and function of a capsular polysaccharide from Cellulomonas flavigena strain KU. Ph.D. dissertation. Department of Microbiology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS

Link to information about Microbiology Certificate Program:

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