Robert C. Shields Source Confirmed

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

Federal Grant PI

Assistant Professor

Arkansas State University

faculty

rshields@dental.ufl.edu

17 h-index 49 pubs 906 cited

Research Areas

Links

ORCID Lab Website

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OverviewAI-generated summary

Robert C. Shields is an Assistant Professor at Arkansas State University whose research program focuses on microbial genetics and molecular biology, with a particular emphasis on oral bacteria. His work investigates the genetic mechanisms that govern bacterial behavior, essential gene function, and genomic diversification. Shields has been awarded federal funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for his studies on integrative and conjugative elements in oral streptococci, receiving a total of $139,730 for this line of inquiry.

His recent publications explore diverse areas within microbiology. These include the role of extracellular deoxyribonuclease in interspecies competition within oral biofilms, the development of novel fatty acid biosynthesis inhibitors with antibacterial properties, and the characterization of transcriptional regulators involved in the activation of mobile genetic elements in *Streptococcus mutans*. Shields also utilizes advanced techniques such as CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) libraries and transposon sequencing to identify and analyze essential genes in *Streptococcus mutans*, contributing to a deeper understanding of bacterial biology.

Beyond his work on oral bacteria, Shields has also contributed to research on the production of plant-derived compounds with potential health benefits, such as the geranylated flavonoid Malheuran A. His scholarship metrics include an h-index of 17, 49 total publications, and 906 total citations. He actively collaborates with researchers at Arkansas State University, including Mohammad A. Alam, Shawn King, Amit Raj Sharma, and Fabricio Medina-Bolívar, with whom he has co-authored multiple publications.

Metrics

h-index: 17
Publications: 49
Citations: 906

Selected Publications

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) DOI
High-level production of antibacterial pentacyclic triterpenoids from hairy root cultures of Bixa orellana via abiotic elicitation (2026) DOI
Post-translational modifications via serine/threonine phosphorylation and GpsB in Streptococcus mutans (2025) DOI
Post-translational modifications via serine/threonine phosphorylation and GpsB in Streptococcus mutans (2025) DOI
Bacterial evolution in the oral microbiome: the role of conjugative elements and horizontal gene transfer (2025) DOI
Characterization of MreCD in Streptococcus mutans (2025) DOI
Enhanced Production of Anti-Inflammatory and Antibacterial Prenylated Isoflavonoids in Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan) Hairy Root Cultures (2025) DOI
Production of Malheuran A, a Geranylated Flavonoid with Antimicrobial and Anti-Inflammatory Activities, in Hairy Root Cultures of Dalea purpurea (2025) DOI
MecA in Streptococcus mutans is a multi-functional protein (2024) DOI
Genomic analysis of conjugative and chromosomally integrated mobile genetic elements in oral streptococci (2024) DOI
Effect of peanut stilbenoids, arachidin-1 and arachidin-3, on Streptococcus mutans growth and acid production (2024) DOI
Construction of an arrayed CRISPRi library as a resource for essential gene function studies in Streptococcus mutans (2023) DOI
Development and Antibacterial Properties of 4-[4-(Anilinomethyl)-3-phenylpyrazol-1-yl]benzoic Acid Derivatives as Fatty Acid Biosynthesis Inhibitors (2023) DOI
Interspecies competition in oral biofilms mediated by Streptococcus gordonii extracellular deoxyribonuclease SsnA (2022) DOI
Activation of TnSmu1, an integrative and conjugative element, by an ImmR-like transcriptional regulator in Streptococcus mutans (2022) DOI