Projects per year
Personal profile
Personal profile
Dr. Zhu joined the Department of Biological Sciences at XJTLU as an Associate Professor in January 2023. He received his B.S. in Bioscience at Hebei University of Science and Technology in 2006, and Ph.D. in Microbiology at Shandong University in 2011. After finishing his Ph.D., Dr. Zhu continued his academic career as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the US until 2018. He then became an Assistant Professor at Minnesota State University Mankato in 2018 and worked there until January 2023. Dr. Zhu’s research has been mainly focused on the genetic manipulation of bacteria in the phylum Bacteroidetes and their mechanisms of gliding motility, polysaccharide degradation, protein secretion, and pathogenicity.
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=9r8TXE8AAAAJ&hl=en
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yongtao-Zhu
Research interests
Genetic manipulation of Bacteroidetes
Virulence mechanisms of Bacteroidetes pathogens
Antimicrobial metabolites
Type IX Secretion System
Gliding motility
Cellulose degradation and biofuels
Experience
Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, 2023-present
Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Minnesota State University, Mankato, 2018-2023
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2011-2018
Teaching
BIO201 Genome Expression and Maintenance, XJTLU, 2025 - present
BIO407 Research Project II, XJTLU, 2024 - present
BIO303 Final Year Project, XJTLU, 2023 - present
BIO106 The Biology of Microbes, XJTLU, 2023 - present
BIOL270 General Microbiology, Minnesota State University Mankato, 2018 – 2022
BIOL399: RISEbio Research, Minnesota State University Mankato, 2021– 2022
BIOL472/572 Microbial Ecology and Bioremediation, Minnesota State University Mankato, 2019 – 2022
BIOL478/578 Food Microbiology and Sanitation, Minnesota State University Mankato, 2019 – 2022
BIOL619 Gut Microbiota and Human Health, Minnesota State University Mankato, 2020
BIO SCI-536 Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Guest Lecture, 2017
Awards and honours
2024 Supervisor for the Outstanding Project 1st Prize of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
2022 Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences Faculty Award, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Related documents
Education/Academic qualification
B.S., Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, China - 2006
Ph.D., Shandong University, Jinan, China - 2011
Research areas
- Microbiology
- Microbial Genetics
- Infectious Disease
- Antimicrobial metabolites
- Bacterial Motility
- Protein Secretion
- Polysaccharide Degradation
- Host-Microbe Interaction
- Biofuels
Person Types
- Staff
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics where Yongtao Zhu is active. These topic labels come from the works of this person. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
Projects
- 5 Active
-
Development of genetic manipulation tools in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and genetic analysis
Zhu, Y. (PI)
30/08/25 → 30/08/26
Project: Collaborative Research Project
-
Mechanisms of the Flavobacterium johnsoniae type IX secretion system and gliding motility
Zhu, Y. (PI)
1/06/24 → …
Project: Internal Research Project
-
Mechanism investigation of the bacterial cold-water disease caused by Flavobacterium psychrophilum
Zhu, Y. (PI)
1/06/24 → 31/05/27
Project: Internal Research Project
-
The gliding machinery in Flavobacterium johnsoniae
1/01/24 → …
Project: Collaborative Research Project
-
Functional investigation of the type IX secretion system regulatory pathway components in the fish pathogen Flavobacterium psychrophilum
Zhu, Y. (PI)
1/01/24 → 31/12/26
Project: Internal Research Project
-
Design and Synthesis of Neomycin-Oxazolidinone Hybrid Antibiotics: Potent Agents Against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, Exhibiting Synergistic Activity Against Pseudomonas aeruginosa via Outer Membrane Disruption
Chen, Y., Wang, W., Lu, W., Ding, L., Singh, I., Zhu, Y. & Zhang, Q., 2025, (Submitted) In: Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
-
Methylation of foreign DNA overcomes the restriction barrier of Flavobacterium psychrophilum and allows efficient genetic manipulation
Sloboda, S., Ge, X., Jiang, D., Su, L., Wiens, G. D., Beveridge, C. A., Duchaud, E., McBride, M. J., Rochat, T. & Zhu, Y., Feb 2025, In: Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 91, 2Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Unveiling the molecular mechanisms of the Type-IX secretion system's response regulator: Structural and functional insights
Saran, A., Kim, H.-M., Manning, I., Hancock, M., Schmitz, C., Madej, M., Potempa, J., Sola, M., Trempe, J.-F., Zhu, Y., Davey, M. E. & Zeytuni, N., 31 Jul 2024, In: PNAS Nexus. p. 316Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access2 Citations (Scopus) -
Filamentous structures in the cell envelope are associated with bacteroidetes gliding machinery
Shibata, S., Tahara, Y. O., Katayama, E., Kawamoto, A., Kato, T., Zhu, Y., Nakane, D., Namba, K., Miyata, M., McBride, M. J. & Nakayama, K., Jan 2023, In: Communications Biology. 6, 1, 94.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access11 Citations (Scopus) -
Type IX Secretion System Effectors and Virulence of the Model Flavobacterium columnare Strain MS-FC-4
Thunes, N. C., Conrad, R. A., Mohammed, H. H., Zhu, Y., Barbier, P., Evenhuis, J. P., Perez-Pascual, D., Ghigo, J. M., Lipscomb, R. S., Schneider, J. R., Li, N., Erbes, D. H., Birkett, C., LaFrentz, B. R., Welch, T. J. & McBride, M. J., Feb 2022, In: Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 88, 3, e01705-21.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access20 Citations (Scopus)
-
Identification of genes involved in gliding motility and antimicrobial production in Chitinophaga sp.
Yongtao Zhu (Supervisor)
17 Jun 2025 → 28 Aug 2025Activity: Supervision › Completed SURF Project
-
SURF Experience Sharing: Undergraduate Students Are Excellent Researchers
Yongtao Zhu (Speaker)
9 Jun 2025Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
-
Carotenoid Synthesis Manipulation for a Comparison in Energy Transfer Efficiency in Cereibacter sphaeroides
Yongtao Zhu (Supervisor)
Jun 2025Activity: Supervision › Master Dissertation Supervision
-
Postdoc Defense Committee, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences China (External organisation)
Yongtao Zhu (Member)
24 Mar 2025Activity: Membership › Membership of committee
-
Mentor the iGEM team XJTLU-Science-China as PI
Yongtao Zhu (Participant)
1 Jan 2025 → 31 Oct 2025Activity: Other