Profile
Tzuen-Rong Tzeng
Biological Sciences
Professor
864-650-8020
Life Sciences Building 146 [Research Laboratory Service]
Life Sciences Building 149A [Office]
Life Sciences Building 160A [Lab]
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 is to develop prevention and therapeutic approaches to reduce, augment, enhance, or replace the use of antibiotics. My approach to achieving this 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.
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
Bacterial Techniques with Lab
Current Topics in Microbiology
Selected Topics
Advanced General Microbiology
Microbial Genetics with Lab
Industrial Microbiology with Lab
Directed Research
Creative Inquiry
Undergraduate Research
Biology in the News
Senior Seminar
General Microbiology with Lab
Selected Publications
Last 5 Years
1. 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.
2. McLamore, E. S.; Alocilja, E.; Gomes, C.; Gunasekaran, S.; Jenkins, D.; Datta, S. P.; Li, Y.; Mao, Y. J.; Nugen, S. R.; Reyes-De-Corcuera, J. I., FEAST of biosensors: Food, environmental and agricultural sensing technologies (FEAST) in North America. Biosensors and Bioelectronics 2021, 113011.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Liu, Z.; Li, D.; Saffarian, M.; Tzeng, T. R.; Song, Y.; Pan, X.; Xuan, X., Revisit of wall?induced lateral migration in particle electrophoresis through a straight rectangular microchannel: Effects of particle zeta potential. Electrophoresis 2019, 40 (6), 955-960.
8. Arifuzzaman, M.; Millhouse, P. W.; Raval, Y.; Pace, T. B.; Behrend, C. J.; Behbahani, S. B.; DesJardins, J. D.; Tzeng, T.-R. J.; Anker, J. N., An implanted pH sensor read using radiography. Analyst 2019, 144 (9), 2984-2993.
9. Thomas, C.; Lu, X.; Todd, A.; Raval, Y.; Tzeng, T. R.; Song, Y.; Wang, J.; Li, D.; Xuan, X., Charge?based separation of particles and cells with similar sizes via the wall?induced electrical lift. Electrophoresis 2017, 38 (2), 320-326.
10. Raval, Y. S.; Fellows, B. D.; Murbach, J.; Cordeau, Y.; Mefford, O. T.; Tzeng, T. R. J., Multianchored Glycoconjugate?Functionalized Magnetic Nanoparticles: A Tool for Selective Killing of Targeted Bacteria via Alternating Magnetic Fields. Advanced Functional Materials 2017, 27 (26), 1701473.
11. Benza, D.; Uzair, U.; Raval, Y.; Tzeng, T.-R. J.; Behrend, C. J.; Anker, J. N. In X-ray excited luminescent chemical imaging (XELCI) for non-invasive imaging of implant infections, Frontiers in Biological Detection: From Nanosensors to Systems IX, International Society for Optics and Photonics: 2017; p 100810K.
12. Badal, S. A.; Asuncion Valenzuela, M. M.; Zylstra, D.; Huang, G.; Vendantam, P.; Francis, S.; Quitugua, A.; Amis, L. H.; Davis, W.; Tzeng, T. R. J., Glaucarubulone glucoside from Castela macrophylla suppresses MCF?7 breast cancer cell growth and attenuates benzo [a] pyrene?mediated CYP1A gene induction. Journal of Applied Toxicology 2017, 37 (7), 873-883.
13. Arifuzzaman, M.; Millhouse, P. W.; Raval, Y.; Pace, T. B.; Behrend, C. J.; DesJardins, J. D.; Tzeng, T.-R. J.; Anker, J. N., Implanted chemical sensors for functional radiography. 2017.
14. Zhu, L.; Patel, S. H.; Johnson, M.; Kale, A.; Raval, Y.; Tzeng, T.-R.; Xuan, X., Enhanced throughput for electrokinetic manipulation of particles and cells in a stacked microfluidic device. Micromachines 2016, 7 (9), 156.
15. Wang, Z.; Raval, Y.; Tzeng, T.; Booth, B.; Flaherty, B.; Peterson, D.; Moore, J.; Rosenmann, D.; Divan, R.; Yu, G. In Time domain detection and differentiation of single particles and cells with a radio frequency interferometer, 2016 IEEE Topical Conference on Biomedical Wireless Technologies, Networks, and Sensing Systems (BioWireleSS), IEEE: 2016; pp 77-80.
16. Uzair, U.; Benza, D.; Wang, F.; Raval, Y.; Tzeng, T.-R. J.; Anker, J. N., A pH sensor for non-invasive in vivo detection and imaging of implant associated infection. 2016.
Selected Talks
1. The Use of Antibiotics in Poultry Production – Its Implications and Alternatives, Chinese Culture University, Taiwan, Invited Speaker, Dec. 10, 2019
2. Bacteria-Mediated Delivery of mazF mRNA into Cancer Cells for Induction of Apoptosis, National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan, Invited Speaker, Dec. 5, 2019
3. Glycoconjugate Functionalized Magnetic Nanoparticles as Alternatives to Antibiotics for Selective Killing of Bacterial Agents, National Pingtung University, Taiwan, Invited Speaker, Dec. 2, 2019
4. Alternatives to Antibiotics in Animal Production, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China, Invited Speaker, Nov. 19, 2019
5. 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
6. The Use of Antibiotics in Poultry Production – Its Implications and Alternatives, National Ilan University, Taiwan, Invited Speaker, Oct. 30, 2019
7. The Use of Antibiotics in Poultry Production – Its Implications and Alternatives, World Egg Day, Taiwan, Invited Speaker, Oct. 19-20, 2019
8. 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
9. Alternatives to Antibiotics for Prevention and Treatment of Bacterial Infections and as Animal Growth Promoters, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan, December 20, 2018
10. 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
11. Antimicrobial and Anti-Efflux Properties of Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), NC Biotech Center Seminar, NC, November 11, 2017
12. Antimicrobial and Anti-Efflux Properties of Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), American Council for Medicinally Active Plants Annual Meeting, Plenary Speaker, SC, June 20-22, 2017
13. Magnetically Mediated Energy Delivery for Selective Inactivation of Drug-Resistant Pathogens, Greenville Hospital System, SC, June 1, 2017
14. 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
15. Recommended ISO Standard for Evaluation of Antimicrobial Properties of Ceramic Tile Surfaces, International ISO/TC 189 Meeting, Seville, Spain, November 9-11, 2015
16. 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
17. Non-Antibiotic Alternatives for Prevention and Control of Bacterial Infections, Tri-County Technical College Seminar Series, Pendleton, SC Oct. 31, 2014
18. 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
19. Anticancer Properties of Research-Grade Hydrastis canadensis (Goldenseal) and its Effect on Multi-Drug-Resistanc Efflux Pumps, Race for Gold Cancer Summit, Anderson University Center for Cancer Research, March 25, 2011
20. Nanotechnology in Poultry Feed, FDA, Center for Veterinary Medicine, Rockville, MD, Nov. 19, 2009
21. Development of Bacterial Adhensin-specific Nanomechanical Cantilever Based Biosensors, Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC, Dec. 9, 2008
22. Food Safety Interventions, IFT International Food Nanoscience Conference, Chicago, IL, Aug. 1, 2007
23. Nanomaterial in Biosafety Applications, Nanotechnology Colloquium, The University of Texas at Austin, TX, May 14, 2007
24. Bacterial Adhesin-Specific Nanomaterial for the Detection and Removal of Pathogens, Environmental Engineering and Science, Clemson University, SC, Oct. 27, 2005
25. Adhesin-specific Nanoparticles in Food Safety Applications, NanoBio Convergence, Stanford University, CA, Sept. 21, 2005
26. Adhesin-Specific Nanoparticles - a non-antibiotic approach for the prevention and treatment of enteropathogens, New Frontiers in Therapeutics, Research Triangle, NC, Oct. 6, 2004
27. Nanobiotechnology, Food Safety Symposium, SC, April 11, 2003
Memberships
2020 – Present Editorial Board, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health; Publisher MDPI (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)
2020 – 2021 Special Issue Editor, "Nanobiosensors for the Detection, Diagnostic and Monitoring of Bacterial or Viral Agents", Sensors; Publisher (MDPI)
2017 – Present Peer Reviewer, NIH
2012 – Present Committee, ISO/TC 189 Working Group 8 (Antimicrobial Properties of Ceramic Tile Surfaces)
2011 – 2021 Committee, NC1194 Nanotechnology and Biosensors Committee, USDA
2016 – 2017 Secretary, NC1194 Nanotechnology and Biosensors Committee, USDA
2011 – 2019 Chair, NC1194 Nanotechnology and Biosensors Committee, USDA
2006 – 2011 Committee, NC1031 Nanotechnology and Biosensors Committee, USDA
2006 – Present Steering Committee, American Society for Microbiology, SC Branch
2007 – 2009 President, American Society for Microbiology, SC Branch
2006 – Present Mentor, American Society for Microbiology, Minority Mentoring Program
2004 – 2007 Committee, NCDC201 Nanotechnology and Biosensors Development Committee, USDA
2002 Planning Committee, Nanoscale Science and Engineering for Agriculture and Food Systems Roadmap, USDA
Honors and Awards
2019 – 2021 Mentor, Beckman Scholars Program, Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation
2017 – Present Faculty Scholar, Clemson University School of Health Research (CUSHR)
2011 – Present Investigator, Consortium for Functional Glycomics (CFG)
2011 – 2012 Associate Member, Science Education Alliance (SEA), National Genomics Research Initiative, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
2011 Faculty Development Awards, Robert J. Rutland Center for Ethics, “Ethic Across the Curriculum” seminar, Clemson University
2010 Board of Trustees Faculty Awards, Clemson University
2005 Faculty Development Awards, Robert J. Rutland Center for Ethics, “Society, Technology and the Environment” seminar, Clemson University
2002 Faculty Development Awards, Laptop Faculty Development Program, Clemson University
2001 Focus on Research Awards, Clemson University
