Robert Colquhoun Shields

Affiliation confirmed via AI analysis of OpenAlex, ORCID, and web sources.

Federal Grant PI

Assistant Professor, University of Florida

Arkansas State University

Also affiliated: University of Florida Health (2015–2021); University of Florida (2015–2026); Newcastle University (2012–2022)

Formerly Arkansas Assistant Professor, Arkansas State University through 2025; now Assistant Professor, University of Florida.

17 h-index 55 pubs 969 cited

Research Areas

Biomedical Subjects

Links

ORCID Lab Website

OverviewAI-generated summary

Robert Colquhoun Shields' research focuses on the molecular mechanisms governing bacterial biofilms, particularly in the context of oral streptococci. His work investigates the role of extracellular DNA in biofilm formation and explores the genetic regulation of bacterial competence, a process that allows bacteria to take up DNA from their environment. Shields has received federal funding from the NIH/National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research for projects examining integrative conjugative elements in oral streptococci and their role in bacterial biology and ecology. He also serves as co-PI on an NSF-funded project to acquire a nanoindenter for materials science and biomaterials research.

His publications include studies on the critical role of extracellular DNA in dental plaque formation and the efficacy of nucleases against biofilm-forming microorganisms. Shields has also utilized the CRISPR-Cas9 system in *Streptococcus mutans* to understand essential gene function and has investigated intracellular signaling pathways involved in genetic competence. His scholarship metrics include an h-index of 17, with 55 total publications and 979 total citations. Shields collaborates with several colleagues at Arkansas State University, including Mohammad A. Alam, Fabricio Medina-Bolívar, Shawn King, and Amit Raj Sharma.

Metrics

h-index: 17
Publications: 55
Citations: 969

Positions

Assistant Professor 2025–present

University of Florida Oral Biology ORCID
Assistant Professor 2021–2025

Arkansas State University Department of Biological Sciences ORCID
Research Assistant Professor 2017–2021

University of Florida Oral Biology ORCID
Postdoctoral Research Associate 2014–2017

University of Florida Oral Biology ORCID

Selected Publications

Genomic instability and biofilm determinants in Streptococcus mutans : insights from a sequence-defined arrayed transposon library (2026)

Journal of Bacteriology DOI OpenAlex
Genomic instability and biofilm determinants in Streptococcus mutans : insights from a sequence-defined arrayed transposon library (2026)

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) DOI OpenAlex
Design, Synthesis, and Development of 4-[2-[3,5-Bis(trifluoromethyl)anilino]thiazolo-4-yl]phenol as a Dual Inhibitor of Fatty Acid Biosynthesis (FASII) to Clear MRSA Infection (2026)

ChemRxiv 1 citation DOI OpenAlex
High-level production of antibacterial pentacyclic triterpenoids from hairy root cultures of Bixa orellana via abiotic elicitation (2026)

Industrial Crops and Products DOI OpenAlex
Post-translational modifications via serine/threonine phosphorylation and GpsB in Streptococcus mutans (2025)

mSystems DOI OpenAlex
Post-translational modifications via serine/threonine phosphorylation and GpsB in Streptococcus mutans (2025)

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) DOI OpenAlex
Bacterial evolution in the oral microbiome: the role of conjugative elements and horizontal gene transfer (2025)

Journal of Bacteriology 4 citations DOI OpenAlex
Characterization of MreCD in Streptococcus mutans (2025)

Journal of Oral Microbiology DOI OpenAlex
Enhanced Production of Anti-Inflammatory and Antibacterial Prenylated Isoflavonoids in Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan) Hairy Root Cultures (2025)

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 5 citations DOI OpenAlex
Production of Malheuran A, a Geranylated Flavonoid with Antimicrobial and Anti-Inflammatory Activities, in Hairy Root Cultures of Dalea purpurea (2025)

Plants 3 citations DOI OpenAlex
MecA in Streptococcus mutans is a multi-functional protein (2024)

mSphere 4 citations DOI OpenAlex
Genomic analysis of conjugative and chromosomally integrated mobile genetic elements in oral streptococci (2024)

Applied and Environmental Microbiology 3 citations DOI OpenAlex
Effect of peanut stilbenoids, arachidin-1 and arachidin-3, on Streptococcus mutans growth and acid production (2024)

Natural Product Research 3 citations DOI OpenAlex
Construction of an arrayed CRISPRi library as a resource for essential gene function studies in Streptococcus mutans (2023)

Microbiology Spectrum 5 citations DOI OpenAlex
Development and Antibacterial Properties of 4-[4-(Anilinomethyl)-3-phenylpyrazol-1-yl]benzoic Acid Derivatives as Fatty Acid Biosynthesis Inhibitors (2023)

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 16 citations DOI OpenAlex