Kui Zhu, PhD

Education

• 2011-2014, DVM, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich (LMU), Germany

• 2008-2011, M.S., China Agricultural University, China 

• 2004-2008, B.S., Yangzhou University, China 

Training and Professional Experience

• 2018-now, Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, China

• 2016-2020, PI, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, China

• 2014-2016, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, USA

Research Interests

Dr. Zhu's current research interest focuses on the discovery of new antibiotics, antibacterial target, and development of antibacterial therapies to combat multi-drug resistant bacterial pathogens.

Awards and Honors

• 2021, Mercator Fellow, Germany

• 2020, Beijing Excellent Young Scholar, China

• 2019, National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholar, China

• 2019, Beijing Young Talent Promotion Project, China

Service

• Editor of Microbial Cell 

• Editor of Frontiers in Microbiology

• Guest Editor of Engineering, Antibiotics

• Executive member of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology Branch of Chinese Association of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, China

• Committee member of Standing Committee of China microbial Society Veterinary Microbiology Professional Committee (Youth Group), China

Selected Publications （to 2022/2/25）

• Liu X#, Wu Y#, Mao C, Shen J, Zhu K*. Host-acting antibacterial compounds combat cytosolic bacteria, Trends in Microbiology, 2022, doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2022.01.006

• Peng W, Li H, Zhao X, Shao B*, Zhu K*. Pyocyanin modulates gastrointestinal transformation and microbiota, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2022, doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.1c07726

• Liu X, Shen J, Zhu K*. Antibacterial activities of plant-derived xanthones. RSC Medicinal Chemistry, 2022, 13, 107-116. (Cover)

• Song M#, Liu Y#, Li T#, Liu X, Hao Z, Ding S, Panichayupakaranant P, Zhu K*, Shen J*. Plant natural flavonoids against multidrug resistant pathogens, Advanced Science, 2021, 8, 2100749. 

• Wu Y#, Wang Y#, Yang H, Li Q, Gong X, Zhang G*, Zhu K*. Resident bacteria contribute to the opportunistic infection of the respiratory tract. PLoS Pathogens, 2021, 17, e1009436. 

• Li Y#, Liu F#, Zhang J, Liu X, Xiao P, Bai H, Chen S, Wang D, Sung SHP, Kwok RTK, Shen J, Zhu K*, Tang BZ*. Efficient killing of multidrug-resistant internalized bacteria by AIEgens in vivo. Advanced Science, 2021, 8, 2001750. (Back cover)

• Chen S, Liu D, Zhang Q, Guo P, Ding S, Shen J, Zhu K*, Lin W*. A marine antibiotic kills multidrug-resistant bacteria without high-level resistance development. ACS Infectious Diseases, 2021, 7, 884-893. (Cover)

• Liu X#, Liu F#, Ding S, Shen J*, Zhu K*. Sublethal levels of antibiotics promote bacterial persistence in epithelial cells. Advanced Science, 2020, 7, 1900840. (Back cover)

• Song M#, Liu Y#, Huang X, Chen S, Liu F, Ding S, Wang Y, Shen J*, Zhu K*. A broad-spectrum antibiotic adjuvant reverses multidrug resistant Gram-negative pathogens. Nature Microbiology, 2020, 5, 1040-1050. 

• Liu Y, Jia Y, Yang K, Li R, Xiao X, Zhu K*, Wang Z*. Metformin restores tetracyclines susceptibility against multi-drug resistant bacteria. Advanced Science, 2020, 7: 1902227. 

• Cui Y#, Wang S#, Ding S, Shao B, Shen J, Zhu K*. Toxins and mobile antimicrobial resistance genes in Bacillus probiotics constitute a potential risk for one health. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2020, 382: 121266. 

• Qu S, Liu Y, Hu Q, Han Y, Hao Z, Shen J*, Zhu K*. Programmable antibiotic delivery to combat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus through precision therapy. Journal of Controlled Release, 2020, 321: 710-717. 

• Cui Y, Märtlbauer E, Dietrich R, Luo H, Ding S, Zhu K*. Multifaceted toxin profile, an approach towards a better understanding of probiotic Bacillus cereus. Critical Reviews in Toxicology, 2019, 22: 342-356.

• Zhu K, Chen S, Sysoeva T, You L*. Universal antibiotic tolerance arising from antibiotic-triggered accumulation of pyocyanin in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PLoS Biology, 2019, 17: e3000573.

• Liu Y, Ding S, Shen J, Zhu K*. Nonribosomal antibacterial peptides that target multidrug-resistant bacteria, Natural Product Reports, 2019, 36, 573-592. (Cover)

• Xie Y, Liu Y, Yang J, Liu Y, Hu F*, Zhu K*, Jiang X*, Gold nanoclusters for targeting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in vivo. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2018, 57:3958-3962.

• Yang Z, Huang Y, Zhou H, Zhang R, Zhu K*, Persistent carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae: a Trojan horse. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 2018, 18: 22-23. 

• Liu Y, Ding S, Dietrich R, Märtlbauer E, Zhu K*. A biosurfactant inspired heptapeptide with improved specificity to kill MRSA. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2017, 56:1486-1490. (Frontispiece)