Ms Diane Ouwerkerk
Adjunct Fellow
Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation
Book Chapters
Gilbert, Rosalind Ann and Ouwerkerk, Diane (2020). Ruminal viruses and extrachromosomal genetic elements. Improving rumen function. (pp. 281-320) edited by Chris McSweeney and R. I. Mackie. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing. doi: 10.19103/as.2020.0067.10
Gilbert, Rosalind A., Ouwerkerk, Diane and Klieve, Athol V. (2015). Phage therapy in livestock methane amelioration. Livestock Production and Climate Change. (pp. 318-335) edited by P. K. Malik, R. Bhatta, J. Takahashi, R. Kohn and C. S. Prasad. Wallingford UK: CABI. doi: 10.1079/9781780644325.0318
Journal Articles
Loh, Zhi Hung, Hungerford, Natasha L., Ouwerkerk, Diane, Klieve, Athol V. and Fletcher, Mary T. (2025). Abiotic degradation of the toxin simplexin by soil collected from a Pimelea-infested paddock. Toxins, 17 (3) 124. doi: 10.3390/toxins17030124
Hungerford, Natasha L., Ouwerkerk, Diane, Gilbert, Rosalind A., Loh, Zhi Hung, Gordon, Russell J., Silva, Luis F.P. and Fletcher, Mary T. (2024). A feeding trial to investigate strategies to mitigate the impacts of Pimelea poisoning in Australian cattle. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 72 (28), 15572-15585. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c02082
Zhou, Yuchen, Roseli, Ras Baizureen, Hungerford, Natasha L., Fletcher, Mary T., Ouwerkerk, Diane, Gilbert, Rosalind A. and Krenske, Elizabeth H. (2024). Binding of the plant-derived toxin simplexin to bovine protein kinase C: insights from molecular dynamics. Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, 22 (14), 2863-2876. doi: 10.1039/d4ob00065j
Gilbert, Rosalind, Davis, Carl, Gravel, Jenny and Ouwerkerk, Diane (2024). Genome sequence and annotation of Pyramidobacter sp. strain YE332, isolated from a cattle rumen fermentation of Leucaena leaf. Microbiology Resource Announcements, 13 (4) e0101223, 1-3. doi: 10.1128/mra.01012-23
Loh, Zhi Hung, Hungerford, Natasha L., Ouwerkerk, Diane, Klieve, Athol V. and Fletcher, Mary T. (2023). Identification of acid hydrolysis metabolites of the Pimelea toxin simplexin for targeted UPLC-MS/MS analysis. Toxins, 15 (9) 551, 551. doi: 10.3390/toxins15090551
Bajagai, Yadav Sharma, Yeoh, Yun Kit, Li, Xiuhua, Zhang, Dagong, Dennis, Paul G., Ouwerkerk, Diane, Dart, Peter J., Klieve, Athol V. and Bryden, Wayne L. (2023). Enhanced meat chicken productivity in response to the probiotic Bacillus amyloliquefaciens H57 is associated with the enrichment of microbial amino acid and vitamin biosynthesis pathways. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 134 (5) lxad085, 1-14. doi: 10.1093/jambio/lxad085
Yuan, Yue, Gauthier, Emilie, Ouwerkerk, Diane, Fletcher, Mary T. and Laycock, Bronwyn (2022). Unravelling biodegradation and toxin release kinetics of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)-based biocomposites in a simulated rumen environment: a preliminary study. Sustainable Materials and Technologies, 33 e00498, 1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.susmat.2022.e00498
Yuan, Yue, Hungerford, Natasha L., Gauthier, Emilie, Ouwerkerk, Diane, Yong, Ken W. L., Fletcher, Mary T. and Laycock, Bronwyn (2021). Extraction and determination of the Pimelea toxin simplexin in complex plant-polymer biocomposites using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometry. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 413 (20), 5121-5133. doi: 10.1007/s00216-021-03475-5
Gilbert, Rosalind A., Netzel, Gabriele, Chandra, Kerri, Ouwerkerk, Diane and Fletcher, Mary T. (2021). Degradation of the indospicine toxin from Indigofera spicata by a mixed population of rumen bacteria. Toxins, 13 (6) 389, 389. doi: 10.3390/toxins13060389
Loh, Zhi Hung, Ouwerkerk, Diane, Klieve, Athol V., Hungerford, Natasha L. and Fletcher, Mary T. (2020). Toxin degradation by rumen microorganisms: a review. Toxins, 12 (10) 664, 1-37. doi: 10.3390/toxins12100664
Gilbert, Rosalind A., Townsend, Eleanor M., Crew, Kathleen S., Hitch, Thomas C. A., Friedersdorff, Jessica C. A., Creevey, Christopher J., Pope, Phillip B., Ouwerkerk, Diane and Jameson, Eleanor (2020). Rumen virus populations: technological advances enhancing current understanding. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11 450, 450. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00450
Grant, Lucas J., Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Phan, Anh Dao T., Kang, Seungha, Ouwerkerk, Diane, Klieve, Athol V., Gidley, Mike J. and Williams, Barbara (2020). Purified plant cell walls with adsorbed polyphenols alter porcine faecal bacterial communities during in vitro fermentation. Food and Function, 11 (1), 834-845. doi: 10.1039/c9fo02428j
Grant, Lucas J., Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Ouwerkerk, Diane, Klieve, Athol V., Gidley, Michael J. and Williams, Barbara A. (2019). Whole fruit pulp (mango) and a soluble fibre (pectin) impact bacterial diversity and abundance differently within the porcine large intestine. Bioactive Carbohydrates and Dietary Fibre, 19 100192, 100192. doi: 10.1016/j.bcdf.2019.100192
Finn, Damien, Catton, Kerrilyn, Heenan, Marijke, Kopittke, Peter, Ouwerkerk, Diane, Klieve, Athol and Dalal, Ram (2018). Differential gene expression in the model Actinomycete Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) supports nitrogen mining dependent on the plant carbon to nitrogen ratio. Agriculture, 8 (12) 192, 192. doi: 10.3390/agriculture8120192
Schofield, Benjamin J., Lachner, Nancy, Le, Oanh T., McNeill, David M., Dart, Peter, Ouwerkerk, Diane, Hugenholtz, Philip and Klieve, Athol V. (2018). Beneficial changes in rumen bacterial community profile in sheep and dairy calves as a result of feeding the probiotic Bacillus amyloliquefaciens H57. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 124 (3), 855-866. doi: 10.1111/jam.13688
Mukhopadhya, Indrani, Morais, Sarah, Laverde-Gomez, Jenny, Sheridan, Paul O., Walker, Alan W., Kelly, William, Klieve, Athol V., Ouwerkerk, Diane, Duncan, Sylvia H., Louis, Petra, Koropatkin, Nicole, Cockburn, Darrell, Kibler, Ryan, Cooper, Philip J., Sandoval, Carlos, Crost, Emmanuelle, Juge, Nathalie, Bayer, Edward A. and Flint, Harry J. (2017). Sporulation capability and amylosome conservation among diverse human colonic and rumen isolates of the keystone starch-degrader Ruminococcus bromii. Environmental Microbiology, 20 (1), 324-336. doi: 10.1111/1462-2920.14000
Gilbert, Rosalind A., Kelly, William J., Altermann, Eric, Leahy, Sinead C., Minchin, Catherine, Ouwerkerk, Diane and Klieve, Athol V. (2017). Toward understanding phage: Host interactions in the rumen; complete genome sequences of lytic phages infecting rumen bacteria. Frontiers in Microbiology, 8 (DEC) 2340, 2340. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02340
Schofield, Benjamin J., Skarshewski, Adam, Lachner, Nancy, Ouwerkerk, Diane, Klieve, Athol V., Dart, Peter and Hugenholtz, Philip (2016). Near complete genome sequence of the animal feed probiotic, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens H57. Standards in Genomic Sciences, 11 (1) 60, 60. doi: 10.1186/s40793-016-0189-z
De Barbieri I., Gulino L., Hegarty R.S., Oddy V.H., Maguire A., Li L., Klieve, A.V and Ouwerkerk D. (2015). Production attributes of Merino sheep genetically divergent for wool growth are reflected in differing rumen microbiotas. Livestock Science, 178, 119-129. doi: 10.1016/j.livsci.2015.05.023
Gilbert, Rosalind, Ouwerkerk, Diane and Klieve, Athol (2015). Modulation of the rumen microbiome. Australian Microbiologist, 36 (1), 18-21. doi: 10.1071/MA15017
Merson, Samuel D., Ouwerkerk, Diane, Gulino, Lisa-Maree, Klieve, Athol, Bonde, Robert K., Burgess, Elizabeth A. and Lanyon, Janet M. (2014). Variation in the hindgut microbial communities of the Florida manatee, Trichechus manatus latirostris over winter in Crystal River, Florida. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 87 (3), 601-615. doi: 10.1111/1574-6941.12248
Gulino, Lisa-Maree, Ouwerkerk, Diane, Kang, Alicia Y. H., Maguire, Anita J., Kienzle, Marco and Klieve, Athol V. (2013). Shedding light on the Microbial Community of the macropod foregut using 454-Amplicon Pyrosequencing. PLoS One, 8 (4) e61463, e61463.1-e61463.12. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061463
Klieve, A. V., Ouwerkerk, D. and Maguire, A. J. (2012). Archaea in the foregut of macropod marsupials: PCR and amplicon sequence-based observations. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 113 (5), 1065-1075. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2012.05428.x
Conference Papers
Hungerford, Natasha L., Chaleat, Celine, Santiago, Viviene S., Ouwerkerk, Diane, Gilbert, Rosalind A., Meale, Sarah J., Parra, Mariano, Pratt, Steven, Lant, Paul, Fletcher, Mary T. and Laycock, Bronwyn (2024). Towards mitigation of methane emissions from extensively grazing cattle with 3-nitrooxypropanol. 2nd Australian Conference on Green & Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 8-12 December 2024.
Ouwerkerk, D., Gauthier, E., Yuan, Y., Costa, D. F. A., Laycock, B. and Fletcher, M.T. (2022). In vivo rumen microbial degradation of polyhydroxyalkanoate biopolymers. 34th Australian Association of Animal Sciences Conference, Cairns, QLD Australia, 5 - 7 July 2022. doi: 10.1071/ANv62n11abs
Loh, Zhi Hung, Hungerford, Natasha L., Ouwerkerk, Diane, Klieve, Athol V. and Fletcher, Mary T. (2021). Analysis of the Pimelea toxin simplexin for the development of a cattle microbial probiotic. 1st International Electronic Conference on Toxins, Online, 13-31 January 2021. Basel, Switzerland: Sciforum. doi: 10.3390/IECT2021-09149
Loh, Z. H., Hungerford, N. L., Ouwerkerk, D., Klieve, A. V. and Fletcher, M. T. (2021). Pimelea toxin simplexin and its potential degradation products. Australian Association of Animal Sciences Biennial Conference (AAAS 2021), Fremantle, WA Australia, 1-3 February 2021. Australian Association of Animal Sciences and CSIRO. doi: 10.1071/ANv61n3abs
Yuan, Y., Gauthier, E., Hungerford, N. L., Ouwerkerk, D., Laycock, B. and Fletcher, M. T. (2021). Combating Pimelea poisoning with biodegradable biocomposite-based boluses: an investigation into the slow release of toxins in the rumen environment. Australian Association of Animal Sciences Biennial Conference (AAAS 2021), Fremantle, WA Australia, 1-3 February 2021. Australian Association of Animal Sciences and CSIRO. doi: 10.1071/ANv61n3abs
Ouwerkerk, D., Gilbert, R. A., Gravel, J. L., Maguire, A. J., Minchin, C. M., Hungerford, N. L., Loh, Z. H. and Fletcher, M. T. (2021). Enriching for rumen bacteria to degrade the Pimelea plant toxin simplexin, in an anaerobic in vitro fermenter. Australian Association of Animal Sciences Biennial Conference (AAAS 2021), Fremantle, WA Australia, 1-3 February 2021. Australian Association of Animal Sciences and CSIRO. doi: 10.1071/ANv61n3abs
Loh, Z. H., Hungerford, N. L., Ouwerkerk, D., Klieve, A. V. and Fletcher, M. T. (2020). Identification of volatile plant compounds in Pimelea trichostachya responsible for livestock aversion. 5th Queensland Annual Chemistry Symposium, QACS 2020, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 27 November 2020.
Gilbert, Rosalind and Ouwerkerk, Diane (2020). The genetics of rumen phage populations. The Third International Tropical Agriculture Conference (TROPAG 2019), Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 11-13 November 2019. Basel, Switzerland: MDPI . doi: 10.3390/proceedings2019036165
Ouwerkerk, Diane, Maguire, Anita, Gravel, Jenny, Minchin, Cathy, Gravel, Michael, Klieve, Athol and Gilbert, Ros (2020). Effect of feeding different cultivars of Leucaena leucocephala on rumen-based in vitro anaerobic fermentations. The Third International Tropical Agriculture Conference (TROPAG 2019), Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 11-13 November 2019. Basel, Switzerland: MDPI . doi: 10.3390/proceedings2019036096
Gordon, Russell, Hungerford, Natasha L., Laycock, Bronwyn, Ouwerkerk, Diane and Fletcher, Mary T. (2020). Adsorbents for the sequestration of the Pimelea toxin, simplexin. The Third International Tropical Agriculture Conference TropAg 2019 , Brisbane, QLD Australia, 11-13 November 2019. Basel, Switzerland: MDPI. doi: 10.3390/proceedings2019036090
Yuan, Yue, Gauthier, Emilie, Hungerford, Natasha L., Ouwerkerk, Diane , Fletcher, Mary T. and Laycock, Bronwyn (2020). Modelling the controlled release of toxins in a rumen environment. The Third International Tropical Agriculture Conference TropAg 2019 , Brisbane, QLD Australia, 11-13 November 2019. Basel, Switzerland: MDPI. doi: 10.3390/proceedings2019036089
Gilbert, Rosalind, Ouwerkerk, Diane, Negara, Windu, Schatz, Tim, Kleive, Athol and McCosker, Kieren (2019). Shifting cattle from grazing extensive pastures to floodplain pastures in the Northern Territory: effect on rumen microbial communities. Northern Beef Research Update Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 19-22 August 2019. Brisbane, QLD Australia: North Australian Beef Research Council.
Gordon, Russell J., Hungerford, Natasha L., Laycock, Bronwyn, Ouwerkerk, Diane and Fletcher, Mary T. (2019). Adsorbents for the sequestration of the Pimelea toxin, simplexin. Northern Beef Research Update Conference (NBRUC) 2019, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 19 - 22 August 2019.
Yuan, Yue, Gauthier, Emilie, Hungerford, Natasha L., Ouwerkerk, Diane, Fletcher, Mary T. and Laycock, Bronwyn (2019). Modelling the controlled release of toxins in a rumen environment. 4th Queensland Annual Chemistry Symposium QACS 2019, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 29 November 2019.
Gauthier, Emilie, Ouwerkerk, Diane, Laycock, Bronwyn and Fletcher, Mary (2019). Biopolymer composites for slow release to manage Pimelea poisoning in cattle. The Third International Tropical Agriculture Conference TropAg 2019 , Brisbane, QLD Australia, 11-13 November 2019. Basel, Switzerland: MDPI. doi: 10.3390/proceedings2019036097
Loh, Zhi Hung, Hungerford, Natasha L., Ouwerkerk, Diane, Gilbert, Rosalind A., Gravel, Jennifer, Minchin, Catherine M., Maguire, Anita J., Yong, Ken, Klieve, Athol and Fletcher, Mary (2019). Mitigating the effects of the toxin simplexin in pimelea poisoning of cattle by development of a microbial probiotic. TropAg2019, International Tropical Agriculture Conference, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 11 - 13 November 2019.
Silcock, Richard, Fletcher, Mary T. and Ouwerkerk, Diane (2016). A Possible Way Forward with Pimelea Poisoning in Australian Rangelands. 10th International Rangeland Congress, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, 16-22 July 2016. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada: 10th International Rangeland Congress.
Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Williams, Barbara A., Godwin, Scott, Gulino, Lisa-Maree, Ouwerkerk, Diane, Ismail, Munirah, Klieve, Athol and Gidley, Michael (2014). Effects of arabinoxylan dietary fibre fine structure on gut microbiota dynamics. ASM Meeting 2014: Australian Society for Microbiology Annual Scientific Meeting 2014, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 6-9 July, 2014. Fitzroy, VIC, Australia: Australian Society for Microbiology.
Grant, Lucas, Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Godwin, Scott, Gulino, Lisa-Maree, Ouwerkerk, Diane, Klieve, Athol, Gidley, Michael and Williams, Barbara (2014). The Effect of Fruit Phytonutrients on Microbial Community Profiles of the Porcine Large Intestine. Rowett-INRA 2014 Gut Microbiology: from sequence to function, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK, 16-19 June 2014.
Grant, Lucas, Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Gulino, Lisa-Maree, Godwin, Scott, Ouwerkerk, Diane, Klieve, Athol, Gidley, Michael and Williams, Barbara (2014). The Effect of Dietary Pectin on Microbial Community Profiles of the Porcine Large Intestine. Rowett-INRA 2014 Gut Microbiology: from sequence to function, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK, 16-19 June 2014.
Mikkelsen, Deirdre, Williams, Barbara, Ismail, Munirah, Godwin, Scott, Gulino, Lisa-Maree, Ouwerkerk, Diane, Klieve, Athol and Gidley, Michael (2014). Fermentability of Arabinose Depleted Arabinoxylan. Rowett-INRA 2014 Gut Microbiology: from sequence to function, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK, 16-19 June 2014.
Finn, D., Ouwerkerk, D. and Klieve, A. V. (2011). Isolation of a novel bacterial carbon dioxide sink in the rumen of cattle. FEMS 2011: 4th Congress of European Microbiologists, Geneva, Switzerland, 26-30 June 2011.
Klieve, A. V., Maguire, A. J. and Ouwerkerk, D. (2011). The impact of Bromoethanesulphonic acid (BES) on methane generation and the size and structure of ruminal methanogen populations in vitro. FEMS 2011: 4th Congress of European Microbiologists, Geneva, Switzerland, June 26 - 30, 2011.
Martinez, E. D., Quigley, S., Streeter, S., Poppi, D. P., Swain, T., Klieve, A. V. and Ouwerkerk, D. (2011). Relationship between rumen bacterial populations and post-weaning live weight gain in steers selected on different growth rates in the Northern Territory. Northern Beef Research Update Conference, Darwin, Australia, 2 - 5 August 2011.
Gulino, L. M., Ouwerkerk, D. and Klieve A. V. (2011). Pyrosequencing sheds light on the kangaroo foregut. 2011 Congress on Gastrointestinal Function, Chicago, IL, United States, 18-20 April 2011.