Yifan Zhang

Yifan Zhang

Research interest(s)/area of expertise

• Food microbiology

• Antimicrobial resistance

• Urban agriculture

Research

The overall goal of our research is to understand the role that food, agriculture, and the environment play in transmitting human pathogenic bacteria and antimicrobial resistance. Specific research areas are:

         1. Genomic and metagenomic analysis of foodborne pathogens and food production environment
         2. Food and agricultural reservoir of antimicrobial resistance
         3. Food safety and sustainability in urban agriculture 
         4. Development of novel food safety control
         5. Phage as a reservoir and transmission vehicle of antimicrobial resistance

Education

• Ph.D., Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park

Selected publications

*denotes corresponding author.

Perera, L.N., A.I. Mafiz, N.R. Amarasekara, E. Chang, V. Krishnoji Rao, and Y. Zhang*. Antimicrobial-resistant E. coli and Enterococcus spp. recovered from urban community gardens. Food Control. 2020, 108: 106857. [LINK]

Zhang, N., T. Liang, Q. Jin, C. Shen, Y. Zhang, and P. Jing. Chinese yam (Dioscorea opposita Thunb.) alleviates antibiotic-associated diarrhea by modifying intestinal microbiota and increasing levels of short-chain fatty acids in mice. Food Research International. 2019, 122: 191-198. [LINK]

Mafiz, A.I., L.N. Perera, Y. He, W. Zhang, S. Xiao, W. Hao, S. Sun, K. Zhou, and Y. Zhang*. Case study on the soil antibiotic resistome in an urban community garden. International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents. 2018, 52: 241-250. [LINK]

Gunathilaka, G., V. Tahlan, A.I. Mafiz, M. Polur, and Y. Zhang*. Phages in urban wastewater have the potential to disseminate antibiotic resistance. International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents. 2017, 50(5): 678-683. [LINK]

Sun, S., Canning, C., Wang, K., Zhu, W., Yang, F., Zhang, Y., Zhou, K. Antibacterial Activity of 2-(3′,5′-Dibromo-2′-methoxyphenoxy)-3,5-dibromophenol Isolated from Phyllospongia papyracea. Natural Product Communications. 2017, 12(4): 567-569. [LINK]

Treemore-Spears, L.J., J.M. Grove, C.K. Harris, L.D. Lemke, C.J. Miller, K. Pothukuchi, Y. Zhang, and Y.L. Zhang. A workshop on transitioning cities at the food-energy-water nexus. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences. 2016, 6(1): 90-103. [LINK]

Sun, S, C.B. Canning, K. Bhargava, X. Sun, W. Zhu, N. Zhou, Y. Zhang, and K. Zhou. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers with potent and broad spectrum antimicrobial activity from the marine sponge Dysidea. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters. 2015, 25(10): 2181-2183. [LINK]

Bhargava, K., D. Conti, S. da Rocha, and Y. Zhang*. Application of an oregano oil nanoemulsion to the control of foodborne bacteria on fresh lettuce. Food Microbiology. 2015, 47: 69-73. [LINK]

Sun, X., S. Sun, C. Ference, W. Zhu, N. Zhou, Y. Zhang, and K. Zhou. A potent antimicrobial compound isolated from Clathria cervicornis. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters. 2015, 25(1): 67-69. [LINK]

Sun, X., S. Sui, C, Ference, Y. Zhang, S. Sun, N. Zhou, W. Zhu, and K. Zhou. Antimicrobial and mechanical properties of β-cyclodextrin inclusion essential oils-chitosan film. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2014, 62 (35): 8914–8918. [LINK]

Bhargava, K. and Y. Zhang*. Characterization of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococci (MRCoNS) in retail meat. Food Microbiology. 2014, 42: 56-60. [LINK]

Sun, X., J. Bai, C. Ference, Z. Wang, Y. Zhang, J. Narciso, and K. Zhou. The antimicrobial activity of controlled-release chlorine dioxide gas on fresh blueberries. Journal of Food Protection. 2014, 77(7): 1127-1132. [LINK]

Talreja, D., C. Muraleedharan, G. Gunathilaka, Y. Zhang, K. S. Kaye, S. K. Walia, and A. Kumar. Virulence properties of multidrug resistant ocular isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii. Current Eye Research. 2014, 39(7): 695-704. [LINK]

Gao, R., P. Jing, S. Ruan, Y. Zhang, S. Zhao, Z. Cai, and B. Qian. Removal of off-flavors from radish (Raphanus sativus L.) anthocyanin-rich pigments using chitosan and its mechanism(s). Food Chemistry. 2014, 146: 423-428. [LINK]

Shen, J., L. Rump, Y. Zhang, Y. Chen, X. Wang, and J. Meng. Molecular subtyping and virulence gene analysis of Listeria monocytogenes isolates from food. Food Microbiology. 2013, 35: 58-64. [LINK]

da Rocha, L., G. Gunathilaka, and Y. Zhang*. Antimicrobial-resistant Listeria species from retail meat in metro Detroit. Journal of Food Protection. 2012, 75(12): 2136-41. [LINK]

Bhargava, K. and Y. Zhang*. Multidrug-resistant Coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS) in Food Animals. Journal of Applied Microbiology. 2012, 113(5): 1027-36. [LINK]

Bhargava, K., X. Wang, S. Donabedian, M. Zervos, L. da Rocha, and Y. Zhang*. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Retail Meat, Detroit, Michigan, USA. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2011, 17: 1135-1137. [LINK]

Zhang, Y.*, X. Wang, J. T. LeJeune, M. Zervos, and K. Bhargava. Comparison of Phenotypic Methods in Predicting Methicillin Resistance in Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) from Animals. Research in Veterinary Science. 2011, 90: 23-25. [LINK]

Courses taught

• NFS 2130 Introductory Food Science, 3 credits
• NFS 4150 Advanced Food Science, 3 credit
• NFS 6030 Microbiological Safety of Food, 3 credits