Byeonghwa Jeon, PhD

Foodborne pathogenic bacteria usually originate from animals and are transmitted to humans through contaminated food and they encounter a series of environmental stresses while passing through various procedures in food production, processing, and consumption. Only those that overcome the stress conditions can initiate infection in humans.Our better understanding of how foodborne pathogens overcome and survive stress can help develop novel methods to control and prevent the transmission of foodborne pathogens to humans. Research topics regarding this include, but not limited to:

• Molecular mechanisms for stress tolerance in Campylobacter
• Biofilm formation in foodborne pathogens

Antibiotic resistance is a serious public health threat. If we cannot control the current rates of development and spread of antibiotic resistance, about 10 million deaths will be caused by antibiotic resistance annually by 2050. Similar to the transmission of foodborne pathogens, antibiotic resistance is also frequently transmitted from animals to humans by food consumption; thus, antibiotic resistance is an important food safety issue. My research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and on developing alternative approaches to control this resistance. I work on research projects regarding:

• Antibiotic resistance in Campylobacter
• Plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance, such as plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) in Salmonella and E. coli
• Synergistic antimicrobial adjuvants to control antibiotic-resistant pathogens
• Bacteriophages to inhibit antibiotic-resistant E. coli