Dr. Ting Zhou

Image Ting Zhou
Research Scientist

Fungal Pathogens and Toxins Related to Food Safety

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
93 Stone Rd W, Guelph, ON N1G 5C9

Current research and/or projects

The current research is in the field of food safety and focuses on exploring and investigating cost-efficient green technologies to mitigate fungal hazards and mycotoxin contaminations in human food and animal feed. His research team has discovered beneficial bacterial strains that possess outstanding capabilities to detoxify mycotoxins, such as vomitoxin (DON) and patulin, and to diminish their bio-toxicity. State-of-the-art methods are being developed nowadays in his laboratory to pan out the mechanisms/bacterial enzymes responsible for mycotoxin detoxifications. Dr. Zhou keeps taking a leading role in mycotoxin research and his innovative biodetoxification technology has led to fruitful collaborations with food and feed processing industries and is being developed for commercial applications in deterring or eliminating risks associated with mold growth/mycotoxin presence in agricultural commodities.

Research and/or project statements

  • Mitigation of Fusarium mycotoxins in food production chain by biodetoxificati​on
  • Control of the mycotoxin patulin in food through biodetoxification
  • Toxicity assessments of novel bacterial metabolites of mycotoxin zearalenone and the bacteria presenting the metabolism
  • The application of the deoxynivalenol bioconversion system to detoxify the mycotoxin in grains and DDGs
  • Characterization and enhanced release of bioactives in pulse/grain processing by-products for novel functional food ingredients with greater bioavailability and health benefits

Professional activities / interests

  • Development of microbial and enzymatic detoxifications for mitigation of fungal toxins (mycotoxins) in food and feed
  • Detection and control of mycotoxins with biological, physical and chemical approaches during storage and processing
  • Occurrence and control of toxin producing fungi in fruit and grains with biological agents and natural antimicrobials
  • Microbial fermentation

Education and awards

Ph.D. Plant Pathology, McGill University, 1991

Key publications

  1. Hassan, Y.I.; Zhu, H.; Zhu, Y.; Zhou, T. Beyond Ribosomal Binding: The Increased Polarity and Aberrant Molecular Interactions of 3-epi-deoxynivalenol. Toxins 2016, 8, 261.

    2016 - View publication details

  2. Pierron, A., Mimoun, S., Murate, L.S., Loiseau, N., Lippi, Y., Bracarense, A.-P.F.L., Schatzmayr, G., Zhou, T. (...), Oswald, I.P. 2016. Microbial biotransformation of DON: Molecular basis for reduced toxicity. Scientific Reports 6, art. no. 29105.
    www.nature.com/srep/index.html
    doi: 10.1038/srep29105

    2016 - View publication details

  3. Zhu, Y., Hassan, Y.I., Watts, C., and Zhou, T. (2016). "Innovative technologies for the mitigation of mycotoxins in animal feed and ingredients -- A review of recent patents.", Animal Feed Science and Technology, 216, pp. 19-29. doi : 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2016.03.030

    2016 - View publication details

  4. He, J.W., Hassan, Y.I., Perilla, N., Li, X.Z., Boland, G.J., Zhou, T. (2016). Bacterial epimerization as a route for deoxynivalenol detoxification: The influence of growth and environmental conditions. Frontiers in Microbiology, [online] 7(APR), http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2016.00572

    2016 - View publication details

  5. Hao, H., Zhou, T., Koutchma, T., Wu, F., Warriner, K. (2016). High hydrostatic pressure assisted degradation of patulin in fruit and vegetable juice blends. Food Control, [online] 62 237-242. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2015.10.042

    2016 - View publication details

  6. Hassan, Y.I., Zhou, T., Bullerman, L.B. (2016). Sourdough lactic acid bacteria as antifungal and mycotoxin-controlling agents. Vadose Zone JournalWestern Producer, [online] 22(1), 79-90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1082013214565722

    2016 - View publication details

  7. Hassan, Y.I., Lepp, D., and Zhou, T. (2015). "Devosia soli strain GH2-10, whole genome shotgun sequencing project; GenBank: LAJG00000000.1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/assembly/GCF_000970455.1".

    2015 - View publication details

  8. Wang, W., Soliman, S.S.M., Li, X.-Z., Zhu, H., Yang, L., Yin, Y.L., and Zhou, T. (2015). "Transformation of trichothecene acetyldeoxynivalenol to deoxynivalenol by bacterial acetyltransferase.", in Wang, W. (ed.) - Medicine Sciences and Bioengineering, Taylor & Francis, pp. 775-781.

    2015 - View publication details

  9. Nabuurs, M.H., Boyetchko, S.M., McCallum, J.L., Mills, A.A.S., Zhou, T., and Kirby, C.W. (2015). "Application of Bioautography in the Discovery of Biopesticides from Natural Resources.", 98th Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition, Ottawa, ON, Canada, June 13-17, 2015. (Abstract)

    2015 - View publication details

  10. Boyetchko, S.M., Svircev, A.M., Zhou, T., Audy, P., Russell, H., and Cote, J. (2015). "Promising bacterial antagonists as biopesticides for control of post-harvest diseases of fruits and vegetables.", Botany 2015, Shaw Convention Center, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, July 25-29, 2015, Oral presentation.

    2015 - View publication details

  11. Hassan, Y.I., Lepp, D., and Zhou, T. (2015). "Devosia chinhatensis strain IPL18, whole genome shotgun sequencing project; GenBank: JZEY00000000.1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/assembly/GCF_000969445.1".

    2015 - View publication details

  12. Hassan, Y.I., Li, X.-Z., Zhu, H., and Zhou, T. (2015). "Searching for a Deoxynivalenol epimerase with potential agricultural and industrial applications.", Gordon Research Conference: Enzymes, Coenzymes & Metabolic Pathways, Waterville Valley, NH, USA, July 12-17, 2015, Poster presentation. (Abstract)

    2015 - View publication details

  13. Hassan, Y.I., Lepp, D., and Zhou, T. (2015). "Devosia insulae DS-56, whole genome shotgun sequencing project; GenBank: LAJE00000000.1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/assembly/GCF_000970465.1".

    2015 - View publication details

  14. Hassan, Y.I., He, J., Li, X.-Z., Lepp, D., Zhu, H., and Zhou, T. (2015). "Deoxynivalenol epimerization - A novel biotransformation with potential applications in improving crop resistance against Fusarium diseases.", 18th International Plant Protection Congress, Berlin, Germany, August 24-27, 2015, Oral presentation # OBT6, pp. 89. (Abstract)

    2015 - View publication details

  15. Hassan, Y.I., Lepp, D., and Zhou, T. (2015). "Genome Assemblies of Three Soil-Associated Devosia species: D. insulae, D. limi, and D. soli.", Genome Announcements, 3(3: Article e00514-15).

    2015 - View publication details

  16. Hassan, Y.I., Lepp, D., and Zhou, T. (2015). "Devosia limi DSM 17137, whole genome shotgun sequencing project; GenBank: LAJF00000000.1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/assembly/GCF_000970435.1".

    2015 - View publication details

  17. Hassan, Y.I., Lepp, D., Li, X.-Z., and Zhou, T. (2015). "Devosia geojensis strain BD-c194, whole genome shotgun sequencing project; GenBank: JZEX00000000.1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/assembly/GCF_000969415.1".

    2015 - View publication details

  18. Lepp, D., Hassan, Y.I., Li, X.-Z., and Zhou, T. (2015). "Devosia psychrophila strain Cr7-05, whole genome shotgun sequencing project; GenBank: LAPV00000000.1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/assembly/GCF_000971275.1".

    2015 - View publication details

  19. Shen, H.S., Liu, H., Chen, J.-C., Shao, S., Zhu, H., Tsao, R., and Zhou, T. (2015). "Tetramethylpyrazine from Pleurotus geesteranus.", Natural Product Communications, 10(9), pp. 1553-1554.

    2015 - View publication details

  20. Hassan, Y.I., Lepp, D., and Zhou, T. (2015). "Next-generation whole-genome sequencing platforms and factors to consider for bacterial applications.", Journal of Microbiology, Biotechnology and Food Sciences, 5(1), pp. 29-33. doi : 10.15414/jmbfs.2015.5.1.29-33

    2015 - View publication details

Contact

Research facility

Guelph Research and Development Centre
93 Stone Road West
Guelph, ON N1G 5C9
Canada

Expertise

Agriculture›Agri-Food
Agriculture›Biocontrol›Fungi
Food›Agriculture
Food›Chemistry›Toxins
Health›Animal›Microbiology›Fungus

Affiliations

  • Special Graduate Faculty, Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph
  • Special Graduate Faculty, Department of Food Science, University of Guelph
  • Special Graduate Faculty, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph

Language

English