Research Publications (Food Safety)

Cell adhesion plays a crucial role in candidiasis through invasion of the human body and obtaining resistance to drugs by forming biofilms. Cell adhesion thus is a critical target for combating candidiasis by preventing the entry of fungal hyphae into the epithelium.

Natural polyether ionophore salinomycin (Sal) has been widely used in veterinary medicine as an antibiotic effective in the treatment of coccidian protozoa and Gram-positive bacteria. Moreover, chemical modification of the Sal structure has been found to be a promising strategy to generate semisynthetic analogs with biological activity profiles improved relative to those of the native compound.

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most dangerous pathogens commonly associated with high levels of morbidity and mortality. Sortase A is considered as a promising molecular target for the development of antistaphylococcal agents. Using hybrid virtual screening approach and FRET analysis, we have identified five compounds able to decrease the activity of sortase A by more than 50% at the concentration of 200 µM.

The use of livestock manure is an important way for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) to enter the environment, and composting is an effective method for removing ARGs from livestock manure. In this study, different volume ratios of Chinese medicinal herbal residues (CMHRs) were added to laboratory-scale chicken manure composting to evaluate their effects, if any, on the behavior of ARGs, mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and the bacterial community.

The need for the discovery of new antibiotics and solving the antibiotic resistance problem requires rapid detection of antibiotics, identification of known antibiotics, and prediction of antibiotic mechanisms. The bacterial lux genes encode proteins that convert chemical energy into photonic energy and lead to bioluminescence.