Rate My Professor Gerald Tannock

Emeritus Professor Gerald Tannock serves in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology within the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Otago. He obtained his BSc (Hons) in 1968 and PhD in 1972 from the University of Otago, joining the staff in 1974 and being awarded a personal Professorial Chair in 1996. As Professor Emeritus, Tannock's research has centered on the gut microbiome of humans and animals, exploring the impacts of diet, probiotics, and prebiotics. His laboratory work has provided foundational insights into microbial ecology, and he remains active in publishing on these topics, including contributions to discussions on dietary fibre as an essential nutrient.

Tannock has authored books such as "Normal Microflora: An Introduction to Microbes Inhabiting the Human Body" (1995), "Probiotics and Prebiotics: Scientific Aspects" (2005), and "Understanding the Gut Microbiota" (2012), along with over 250 journal articles. Key publications include "Detection of Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, Leuconostoc, and Weissella Species in Human Feces by Using Group-Specific PCR Primers and Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis" (2001), "VSL#3 probiotic-mixture induces remission in patients with active ulcerative colitis" (2005), and "Analysis of the Fecal Microflora of Human Subjects Consuming a Probiotic Product Containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus DR20" (2000). Recognized for his impact, with over 350 publications, he is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand (2011), Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology (2002), and recipient of the James Cook Research Fellowship (2013) for research on bowel bacteria. Tannock has served as a CoRE Principal Investigator at the Riddet Institute, on the editorial board of Applied and Environmental Microbiology, and contributed to public outreach via the Microbiome Otago exhibit.