Joshua (Jianhua) Gong, Ph.D.

Research Scientist

Animal Intestinal Microbiology

Current research and/or projects

Dr. Gong’s research is focused on chicken and pig intestinal microbiology to improve the animal gut health, aiming for mitigating the use of dietary antibiotics and food-borne pathogens in poultry and swine production. His research has advanced the understanding of animal gut microbial ecology, mechanisms of probiotic effects, pathogenesis of critical enteric pathogens, and development of viable alternatives to antibiotics in feed for mitigating prophylactic use of antibiotics.

Research and/or project statements

Understanding gut microbiota and host immune responses to probiotics and colostrum for improving pig gut health
Survival and control of Salmonella serovars in food production systems: Role of Iron Uptake Systems and new approaches in fighting
Assessment of Clostridium perfringens pili in vaccine development for controlling necrotic enteritis in chickens
On-farm research trials to validate encapsulated essential oils as an antibiotic alternative to control necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens

Professional activities / interests

Understanding of animal gut microbiome, including the mechanisms of probiotic effects, to improve animal gut health
Understanding of the pathogenesis of critical enteric pathogens for development of viable alternatives to in-feed antibiotics
Development of viable alternatives to antibiotics for mitigating the use of in-feed antibiotics and food-borne pathogens in food animal production

Education and awards

Ph.D. Microbiology, University of Guelph

Recipient of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s 2019-2020 Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Science
Recipient of 2019 Award for Excellence in Nutrition and Meat Science from Canadian Society of Animal Science
Recipient of 2012 Award for Technical Innovation in Enhancing Production of Safe Affordable Food from Canadian Society of Animal Science

Key publications

Prescott, J.F., Parreira, V.R., Gohari, I.M., Lepp, D., and Gong, J. (2016). "The pathogenesis of necrotic enteritis in chickens: What we know and what we need to know.", Avian Pathology. doi : 10.1080/03079457.2016.1139688
2016 - View publication details
OFPA 58th Spring Technical Meeting; April 14, Mississauga Convention Centre. Ontario.
2016 - View publication details
Poultry Health Research Network Research Day; March 29, Guelph, Ontario.
2016 - View publication details
Liu, H., Gong, J., Chabot, D., Miller, S.S., Cui, S.W., Ma, J., Zhong, F., Wang, Q. (2016). Incorporation of polysaccharides into sodium caseinate-low melting point fat microparticles improves probiotic bacterial survival during simulated gastrointestinal digestion and storage. Food Hydrocolloids, [online] 54 328-337. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2015.10.016
2016 - View publication details
Ma, Y.H., Wang, Q., Gong, J., Wu, X.Y. (2016). Formulation of Granules for Site-Specific Delivery of an Antimicrobial Essential Oil to the Animal Intestinal Tract, 105(3), 1124-1133. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.xphs.2015.10.001
2016 - View publication details
Yang, Y., Wang, Q., Diarra, M.S., Yu, H., Hua, Y., Gong, J. (2016). Functional assessment of encapsulated citral for controlling necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens. Poultry Science, [online] 95(4), 780-789. http://dx.doi.org/10.3382/ps/pev375
2016 - View publication details
Bissonnette, N., Jiang, X-R., Matte, J.J., Talbot, G., Guay, F., Gong, J., Wang, Q., Bontempo, V., and Lessard, M. (2015). "Effect of a post-weanling diet supplemented with gut health-enhancing feed additives on ileum transcriptome activity and serum cytokines in piglets challenged with lipopolysaccharides (LPS)", ADSA-ASAS JAM (Joint Annual Meeting) 2015, Orlando, Florida, USA, July 12-16, 2015, 2-15, Poster Session.
2015 - View publication details
Gong, J., Wang, Q., and Diarra, M.S. (2015). "The potential of essential oils in controlling necrotic enteritis: Can encapsulation help?", 1st International Conference on Necrotic Enteritis in Poultry, Copenhagen, Denmark, June 10-12, 2015. (Abstract)
2015 - View publication details
Wang, Q., Liu, H., Gong, J., Chabot, D., Miller, S.S., Miller, S.S., Cui, S.W., and Zhong, F. (2015). "A novel encapsulation method to protect probiotic bacteria during spray drying", 23th International Conference on Bioencapsulation, Delft, The Netherlands, September 2-4, 2015. (Poster)
2015 - View publication details
Bissonnette, N., Jiang, X-R., Matte, J.J., Talbot, G., Guay, F., Gong, J., Wang, Q., Bontempo, V., and Lessard, M. (2015). "Effect of a post-weanling diet supplemented with gut health-enhancing feed additives on ileum transcriptome activity and serum cytokines in piglets challenged with lipopolysaccharides (LPS).", Journal of Dairy Science (JDS), 98(Suppl. 2), pp. 659. (Abstract)
2015 - View publication details
Diarra, M.S., Delaquis, P.J., Topp, E., McCallum, J.L., Ehret, D.L., Malouin, F., Gong, J., Brar, S.K., and Ross, K.A. (2015). Fruit Pomaces to Improve Immunity and Health of Organic Chickens. Project ID: AIP-CL02 – Organic Science Cluster II; Research Project Annual Report 2014-2015. AIP-CL02 – Organic Science Cluster II. (Report)
2015 - View publication details
Li, J., Hou, Y., Yi, D., Zhang, J., Wang, L., Qiu, H., Ding, B., Gong, J. (2015). Effects of tributyrin on intestinal energy status, antioxidative capacity and immune response to lipopolysaccharide challenge in broilers. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences, [online] 28(12), 1784-1793. http://dx.doi.org/10.5713/ajas.15.0286
2015 - View publication details
Hu, J.L., Yu, H., Kulkarni, R.R., Sharif, S., Cui, S.W., Xie, M.Y., Nie, S.P., Gong, J. (2015). Modulation of cytokine gene expression by selected Lactobacillus isolates in the ileum, caecal tonsils and spleen of Salmonella-challenged broilers, 44(6), 463-469. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03079457.2015.1086725
2015 - View publication details
Liu, H., Gong, J., Chabot, D., Miller, S.S., Cui, S.W., Ma, J., Zhong, F., Wang, Q. (2015). Protection of heat-sensitive probiotic bacteria during spray-drying bysodium caseinate stabilized fat particles. Food Hydrocolloids, [online] 51 459-467. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2015.05.015
2015 - View publication details
Ding, H.H., Cui, S.W., Goff, H.D., Gong, J. (2015). Short-chain fatty acid profiles from flaxseed dietary fibres after in vitro fermentation of pig colonic digesta: Structure-function relationship. Bioactive Carbohydrates and Dietary Fibre, [online] 6(2), 62-68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bcdf.2015.09.006
2015 - View publication details
Li, C., Nie, S.P., Zhu, K.X., Xiong, T., Li, C., Gong, J., Xie, M.Y. (2015). Effect of Lactobacillus plantarum NCU116 on loperamide-induced constipation in mice. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, [online] 66(5), 533-538. http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/09637486.2015.1024204
2015 - View publication details
Yin, F., Zhu, Y., Koutchma, T., Gong, J. (2015). Inactivation and potential reactivation of pathogenic Escherichia coli O157: H7 in bovine milk exposed to three monochromatic ultraviolet UVC lights. Food Microbiology, [online] 49 74-81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2015.01.014
2015 - View publication details
Liu, B., Yin, X., Yu, H., Feng, Y., Ying, X., Gong, J., Gyles, C.L. (2015). Alteration of the microbiota and virulence gene expression in E. Coli O157:H7 in pig ligated intestine with and without AE lesions. PLoS ONE, [online] 10(6), http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0130272
2015 - View publication details
1st International Conference on Necrotic Enteritis in Poultry; June 10-12, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2015 - View publication details
Yang, Y., Cui, S.W., Gong, J., Guo, Q., Wang, Q., Hua, Y. (2015). A soy protein-polysaccharides Maillard reaction product enhanced the physical stability of oil-in-water emulsions containing citral, 48 155-164. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2015.02.004
2015 - View publication details