Profile
Jeremy Tzeng
Biological Sciences
Professor
864-650-8020
Life Sciences Building 146 [Research Laboratory Service]
Life Sciences Building 149A [Office]
Life Sciences Building 160A [Lab]
Life Sciences Building 163 [Research Laboratory Service]
Educational Background
PhD, Microbiology, Clemson University, 1998
BS, Food Science, Tunghai University, 1985
Profile/About Me
Dr. Tzeng received his undergraduate training at the Department of Food Science, Tunghai University, Taiwan. He completed his graduate training and earned a PhD in Microbiology at the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Clemson University, USA. Dr. Tzeng has taught microbiology courses at all levels. His research interests focus on the development of non-antibiotic approaches for the prevention and treatment of microbial infections. The long-term goal of his research is to develop prevention and therapeutic approaches to reduce, augment, enhance, or replace the use of antibiotics. The approach he takes to achieve the goal is to study the microbe and host interactions as well as the mechanisms enabling the microorganisms to be resistant to the actions of antibiotics. Understanding of these interactions and resistance mechanisms will enable us to develop effective disease prevention and treatment methods. He has published 70+ manuscripts and received funding from USDA, NSF, NIH, Army, and private sectors and collaborated with physicians in Prisma Health.
Research Interests
The long-term goal of my research program is to develop prevention and therapeutic approaches to reduce, augment, enhance, and replace the use of antibiotics for the intervention of infections. My approach to achieving the goal is to study the microbe and host interactions as well as the mechanisms enabling the microorganisms to be resistant to the actions of antibiotics. Understanding of these interactions and resistance mechanisms will enable us to develop effective pathogen detection, disease diagnosis, prevention, and treatment methods.
Under this vision, my team has 1) developed nanoparticles that display multivalent bacterial adhesin-specific receptors mimicking host cell surface, to facilitate their bindings to targeted bacteria; 2) functionalized iron-oxide nanoparticles with adhesin-specific receptors to study the feasibility of using such magnetic nanoparticles for inactivation of targeted microorganisms; 3) developed biosensors for rapid and sensitive detection of targeted pathogens; 4) developed modified surfaces, e.g., surgical pins and plates, that minimize bacterial infections and/or prevent bacterial attachment (biofilm formation); 5) developed antimicrobial peptides that are target-specific to control the growth of foodborne pathogens and to minimize the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria; 6) identified nutraceutical compounds that exhibit antimicrobial activities but with low host toxicities; 7) purified bacterial efflux pump inhibitors from nutraceuticals to facilitate the effective treatment of multi-drug-resistant pathogens; 8) developing poultry feed formulations for organic and antibiotic-free production of layers and broilers.
Courses Taught
Advanced General Microbiology
Bacterial Techniques with Lab
Biology in the News
Concepts in Microbiology
Creative Inquiry
Current Topics in Microbiology
Directed Research
Entrepreneurship in Science: From Idea to Market
General Microbiology with Lab
Industrial Microbiology with Lab
Microbial Genetics with Lab
Selected Topics
Senior Seminar
Undergraduate Research
Selected Publications
Last 5 Years
1. Seyed Mojtaba Tabarhoseini; Joseph Bentor; Walter Johnson*; Tzuen-Rong Tzeng; Xiangchun Xuan Effects of Tween 20 Addition on Electrokinetic Transport in a Polydimethylsiloxane Microchannel, Electrophoresis, 2024, March 12, 2024 https://doi.org/10.1002/elps.202400024
2. Sachindra D. Kiridena; Uthpala N. Wijayaratna; Erin Levon*; Phillip Moschella; Ronald G. Pirrallo; Tzuen-Rong J. Tzeng; Jeffrey N. Anker X-Ray Visualized Sensors for Peritoneal Dialysis Catheter Infection. Journal of Advanced Functional Materials, 2023, April 28, 2023 https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202204899
3. Apeksha C. Rajamanthrilage; Erin Levon*; Unaiza Uzair1; Cedric Taylor*; Tzuen-Rong Tzeng; Jeffrey N. Anker High Spatial Resolution Chemical Imaging of Implant-Associated Infections with X-ray Excited Luminescence Chemical Imaging Through Tissue. Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE), 2022, Sept. 30, 2022 https://dx.doi.org/10.3791/64252
4. K.I. Gassman; S.G. Hill; N.D. Smith; M.S. Kennedy; T.-R.J. Tzeng; S. Beladi-Behbahani*; S.M. Helms; L. O'Neill; J.D. DesJardins The effect of surface roughness and chitosan deposition volume on microbial growth in biofilm involving titanium surfaces for orthopaedic applications. Materialia, 2022, 24, 101481, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtla.2022.101481
5. Chenxu Yu; Paul Takhistov; Evangelyn Alocilja; Jose Reyes de Corcuera; Margaret W Frey; Carmen L Gomes; Yu J Mao; Eric S McLamore; Mengshi Lin; Olga V Tsyusko; Tzuen-Rong J Tzeng; Jeong-Yeol Yoon; Anhong Zhou Bioanalytical approaches for the detection, characterization, and risk assessment of micro/nanoplastics in agriculture and food systems. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 2022, 414, 4591-4612. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-022-04069-5
6. Brumaghim, J.; Angelé-Martínez, C.; Ameer, F. S.; Raval*, Y.; Huang*, G.; Tzeng, T-R.; Anker, J. N. Polyphenol Effects on CuO-Nanoparticle-Mediated DNA Damage, Reactive Oxygen Species Generation, and Fibroblast Cell Death. Toxicology in Vitro, 2021, 78, 105252 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tiv.2021.105252
7. Raval*, Y.; Samstag*, A., Taylor*, C.; Huang*, G.; Mefford, T. O.; Tzeng, T-R J. Assessing the Biocompatibility of Multi-anchored Glycoconjugate Functionalized Iron Oxide Nanoparticles in a Normal Human Colon Cell-line CCD-18Co
Nanomaterials, 2021, 11 (10), 2465. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11102465.
8. Helms, S. M.; O'Neill, L.; *Behbahani, S. B.; Tzeng, J.; Jeray, K.; Kennedy, M. S.; Cross, A. W.; Tanner, S. L.; DesJardins, J. D. Efficacy of a plasma-deposited, vancomycin/chitosan antibiotic coating for orthopaedic devices in a bacterially challenged rabbit model. Materialia 2021, 17, 101122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtla.2021.101122.
9. Tzeng, T.-R. J.; Liu, T.-Y.; Lin, C.-W.; Chang, P.-E.; Liao, P.-X.; Yang, W.-Y.; Cheng, C.-Y.; Liao, P.-C.; Chiang, W.-D.; Ding, S.-T.; Lin, Y.-Y. Effects of Dietary Inclusion of Dry Hydrastis canadensis on Laying Performance, Egg Quality, Serum Biochemical Parameters and Cecal Microbiota in Laying Hens. Animals 2021, 11 (5), 1381. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11051381.
10. Zhang, Y.; Dawson, P. L.; Hanks, T. W.; Northcutt, J. K.; Tzeng, T. R.; Pennington, W. T. Detecting and correlating bacterial populations to visual color change of polydiacetylene-coated filters. Talanta 2021, 221, 121482. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2020.121482.
11. McLamore, E. S.; Alocilja, E.; Gomes, C.; Gunasekaran, S.; Jenkins, D.; Datta, S. P. A.; Li, Y.; Mao, Y. J.; Nugen, S. R.; Reyes-De-Corcuera, J. I.; Takhistov, P.; Tsyusko, O.; Cochran, J. P.; Tzeng, T. J.; Yoon, J. Y.; Yu, C.; Zhou, A. FEAST of biosensors: Food, environmental and agricultural sensing technologies (FEAST) in North America. Biosens Bioelectron 2021, 178, 113011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bios.2021.113011.
12. Malekanfard, A.; *Beladi-Behbahani, S.; Tzeng, T.-R.; Zhao, H.; Xuan, X. AC Insulator-Based Dielectrophoretic Focusing of Particles and Cells in an “Infinite” Microchannel. Analytical Chemistry 2021, 93 (14), 5947-5953. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.1c00697.
13. Zhang, Y.; Dawson, P. L.; Tzeng, T.-R.; Hanks, T. W.; Northcutt, J. K.; Pennington, W. T. A proposed mechanism to induce multi-layer polydiacetylene-coated filter color response to bacteria. Results in Chemistry 2020, 2, 100065. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rechem.2020.100065.
14. Uzair, U.; Johnson, C.; *Beladi-Behbahani, S.; Rajamanthrilage, A. C.; *Raval, Y. S.; Benza, D.; Ranasinghe, M.; Schober, G.; Tzeng, T.-R. J.; Anker, J. N. Conformal Coating of Orthopedic Plates with X-ray Scintillators and pH Indicators for X-ray Excited Luminescence Chemical Imaging through Tissue. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2020, 12 (47), 52343-52353. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.0c13707.
15. Lu, S.-Y.; Malekanfard, A.; *Beladi-Behbahani, S.; Zu, W.; Kale, A.; Tzeng, T.-R.; Wang, Y.-N.; Xuan, X. Passive Dielectrophoretic Focusing of Particles and Cells in Ratchet Microchannels. Micromachines 2020, 11 (5), 451. https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11050451.
Selected Talks
1. Engineered Magnetic Nanoparticles for Target-Specific Killing of Pathogens, WACBE 2022 (World Association for Chinese Biomedical Engineering - World Congress in Bioengineering), Shenzhen, China, Keynote Speaker, April 23-24, 2022
2. X-ray Excited Luminescent Chemical Imaging (XELCI) for Non-invasive Imaging of Implant Infections, 2021 IEEE, the 6th Optoelectronics Global Conference, V05 Biophotonics and Optical Biomedicine, Shenzhen, China, Invited Speaker, September 15-18, 2021
3. The Use of Antibiotics in Poultry Production – Its Implications and Alternatives, Chinese Culture University, Taiwan, Invited Speaker, Dec. 10, 2019
4. Bacteria-Mediated Delivery of mazF mRNA into Cancer Cells for Induction of Apoptosis, National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan, Invited Speaker, Dec. 5, 2019
5. Glycoconjugate Functionalized Magnetic Nanoparticles as Alternatives to Antibiotics for Selective Killing of Bacterial Agents, National Pingtung University, Taiwan, Invited Speaker, Dec. 2, 2019
6. Alternatives to Antibiotics in Animal Production, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China, Invited Speaker, Nov. 19, 2019
7. Bacteria-Mediated Delivery of mazF mRNA into Cancer Cells for Induction of Apoptosis, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China, Invited Speaker, Nov. 6, 2019
8. The Use of Antibiotics in Poultry Production – Its Implications and Alternatives, National Ilan University, Taiwan, Invited Speaker, Oct. 30, 2019
9. The Use of Antibiotics in Poultry Production – Its Implications and Alternatives, World Egg Day, Taiwan, Invited Speaker, Oct. 19-20, 2019
10. Study on the Effects of Goldenseal on the Growth, Intestinal Microbiota, Immune Modulation and Necrotic Enteritis of Broilers, Agribusiness Center for Research & Entrepreneurship (ACRE), SC, Invited Speaker, July 1, 2019
11. Alternatives to Antibiotics for Prevention and Treatment of Bacterial Infections and as Animal Growth Promoters, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan, December 20, 2018
12. Bacterial Adhesin-Specific Nanoparticles as Alternatives to Antibiotics for Prevention and Treatment of Bacterial Infections, Convergence of Nanotechnology and Food Manufacturing (CoNFoMa), Invited Speaker, Minneapolis, Minnesota, September 8-9, 2018
13. Antimicrobial and Anti-Efflux Properties of Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), NC Biotech Center Seminar, NC, November 11, 2017
14. Antimicrobial and Anti-Efflux Properties of Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), American Council for Medicinally Active Plants Annual Meeting, Plenary Speaker, SC, June 20-22, 2017
15. Magnetically Mediated Energy Delivery for Selective Inactivation of Drug-Resistant Pathogens, Greenville Hospital System, SC, June 1, 2017
16. Bacterial-adhesin-specific Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles and their Applications in Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, American Society for Microbiology South Carolina Branch Annual Meeting, SC, Oct. 24, 2015
17. Recommended ISO Standard for Evaluation of Antimicrobial Properties of Ceramic Tile Surfaces, International ISO/TC 189 Meeting, Seville, Spain, November 9-11, 2015
18. Nanotech Application in Microorganism Control and Inspection in Food, Nanotechnologies seminars and workshops sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology Promotion of National Science and Technology Development Program, Taiwan, R.O.C, June 22-28, 2015
19. Non-Antibiotic Alternatives for Prevention and Control of Bacterial Infections, Tri-County Technical College Seminar Series, Pendleton, SC Oct. 31, 2014
20. Adhesin-Specific Nanoparticles for Removal of Enteropathogens, International Symposium on Applications of Nanotechnology and Biosensors in Agriculture and Food, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, April 14-16, 2011
21. Anticancer Properties of Research-Grade Hydrastis canadensis (Goldenseal) and its Effect on Multi-Drug-Resistance Efflux Pumps, Race for Gold Cancer Summit, Anderson University Center for Cancer Research, March 25, 2011
22. Nanotechnology in Poultry Feed, FDA, Center for Veterinary Medicine, Rockville, MD, Nov. 19, 2009
23. Development of Bacterial Adhensin-specific Nanomechanical Cantilever Based Biosensors, Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC, Dec. 9, 2008
24. Food Safety Interventions, IFT International Food Nanoscience Conference, Chicago, IL, Aug. 1, 2007
25. Nanomaterial in Biosafety Applications, Nanotechnology Colloquium, The University of Texas at Austin, TX, May 14, 2007
26. Bacterial Adhesin-Specific Nanomaterial for the Detection and Removal of Pathogens, Environmental Engineering and Science, Clemson University, SC, Oct. 27, 2005
27. Adhesin-specific Nanoparticles in Food Safety Applications, NanoBio Convergence, Stanford University, CA, Sept. 21, 2005
28. Adhesin-Specific Nanoparticles - a non-antibiotic approach for the prevention and treatment of enteropathogens, New Frontiers in Therapeutics, Research Triangle, NC, Oct. 6, 2004
29. Nanobiotechnology, Food Safety Symposium, SC, April 11, 2003
