Kun Zhao
Professor, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University
Email: kunzhao@tju.edu.cn
Education
Ph.D. Princeton University Princeton, New Jersey 2001 - 2006
M.Sc. Eng. Beijing University Beijing, China PR 1998 - 2001
B.S. Beijing University Beijing, China PR 1994 - 1998
Mission statement
Our research interests lie at the interface between biology and physics at the mesoscopic scale. The objective of my research is to understand and engineer the behavior of complex matter at this length. Toward this goal, our research is rooted on a multidisciplinary team-work with our group members (and collaborators) from Physics, Chemistry, Microbiology, Mathematics and Engineering. Currently we are studying self-organization in two model complex systems - complex fluids and microbial systems, by tracking particles and microbes using advanced optical microscopy techniques. Our research will have applications in broad areas like fabrication of metamaterial/biomaterial, treatment of bacterial infections, biofouling control, sustainable bioenergy and water remediation.
Research interests
Characterization and applications of microbial systems
Bacterial imaging and tracking
Bacterial self-organization and social interactions
Cell-substrate interactions: bacterial-matrix interactions, biomechanics of biofilms
Applications in biotechnology
Sustainable bioenergy, water quality control, biofilm control
Physical chemistry of soft materials
Directed self-assembly of custom-shaped building blocks
Membrane active peptide-based biomaterials
Antimicrobial peptides for resistant infections
Cell penetrating peptides for drug delivery
Microrheology of complex fluids
Selected Publications
Zhanglin Hou et al. “Emergent tetratic order in crowded systems of
rotationally asymmetric hard kite particles”, Nat Commun 11, 2064
(2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15723-w
Calvin Lee et al. “Social cooperativity during surface attachment in
early biofilms: a quantitative comparison between reversible attachment in P.
aeruginosa PA14 and PAO1”, mBio, 11:e02644-19 (2020)
Wenchao Zhang et al. “Dynamics of solitary predation by Myxococcus
xanthus on Escherichia coli observed at the single-cell level”, Appl.
Environ. Microbiol., 86(3), e02286-19 (2020)
Yan-Wei Li et al. “Long-wavelength fluctuations and anomalous dynamics
in 2-dimensional liquids”, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 116(46)22977-22982 (2019)
Catherine
R. Armbruster, et al. “Heterogeneity in surface sensing
suggests a division of labor in Pseudomonas aeruginosa populations”, eLife 8:e45084 (2019)
Yiwu Zong, Ke Chen, Thomas G. Mason and Kun Zhao*. “Vibrational modes and dynamic heterogeneity in a near-equilibrium 2D glass of colloidal kites”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 228003 (2018)
Kun Zhao and T. G. Mason*. “Assembly of Colloidal
Particles in Solution”, Rep. Prog. Phys. DOI: 10.1088/1361-6633/aad1a7 (2018)
W.
Zhang, Y. Ju, Y. Zong, H. Qi*, and Kun
Zhao*. “In situ real-time study on dynamics of microbially induced calcium carbonate
precipitation at a single-cell level”, Environ.
Sci. Technol. 52 (16), 9266-9276 (2018)
J. Zhang,
J. He, C. Zhai, L. Ma, L. Gu* and Kun
Zhao*. “Effects of PslG on the surface movement of Pseudomonas aeruginosa”, Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 84 (13)
e00219-18 (2018)
C. K. Lee, J. D. Anda, A. E. Baker, R. R. Bennett, Y. Luo, E. Y. Lee, J. A. Keefe, J. S. Helali, J. Ma, Kun Zhao* , R. Golestanian*, G. A. O’Toole*, G. C. L. Wong*. Multigenerational memory and adaptive adhesion in early bacterial biofilm communities, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 115 (17) 4471-4476, (2018)
In News:
“细菌如何将记忆传给后代?或有助对抗超级细菌”
http://tech.sina.com.cn/d/i/2018-04-17/doc-ifzfkmth4991548.shtml
http://scitech.people.com.cn/n1/2018/0417/c1007-29931115.html
A. Gelimson, Kun Zhao, C. K. Lee, W. T. Kranz, G. C. L. Wong, R. Golestanian. Multicellular Self-Organization of P. aeruginosa due to Interactions with Secreted Trails,Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 178102 (2016)
Kun Zhao* and T. G. Mason*. “Shape-designed frustration by local polymorphism in a near-equilibrium colloidal glass”, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 112(39), 12063-12068 (2015)
Kun Zhao and T. G. Mason. “Self-organized chiral colloidal crystals of Brownian square crosses”, J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 26, 152101(2014)
Slected as cover paper for Volume 26, Issue 15, 16 April 2014
Selected in IOPselect
Kun Zhao, B. S. Tseng, B. Beckerman, F. Jin, M. L. Gibiansky, J. J. Harrison, E. Luijten, M. R. Parsek and G. C. L. Wong. “Psl trails guide exploration and microcolony formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms”, Nature 497, 388-391 (2013)
In News:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130508131819.htm
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-05/uoc--sft050913.php
American Public Media's Marketplace Morning Report (Listen to the report for May 10, 2013 at the 6 minute 19 second mark)
Recommended by Faculty of 1000, http://f1000.com/prime/718008684
Also highlighted by Nature News & Views “Microbiology: Bacterial communities as capitalist economies”, Nature 497, 321-322 (2013)
Kun Zhao and T. G. Mason. “Twinning of rhombic colloidal crystals”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 134, 18125-18131(2012)
Kun Zhao, Uh-Joo Choe, D. T. Kamei and G. C. L. Wong. “Enhanced activity of cyclic transporter sequences driven by phase behavior of peptide-lipid complexes”, Soft Matter 8, 6430-6433 (2012)
Kun Zhao, R. Bruinsma, and T. G. Mason. “Local chiral symmetry breaking in triatic liquid crystals”, Nat. Commun. 3, 801(2012).
In News:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120508163330.htm
Also highlighted in Nature Physics 8, 442 (2012):
http://www.nature.com/nphys/journal/v8/n6/full/nphys2347.html
Kun Zhao, R. Bruinsma, and T. G. Mason. “Entropic Crystal-Crystal Transitions of Brownian Squares”, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 108, 2684-2687(2011).
Kun Zhao and T. G. Mason. “Frustrated Rotator Crystals and Glasses of Brownian Pentagons”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 208302(2009).
Kun Zhao and T. G. Mason. “Suppressing and enhancing depletion attractions between surfaces roughened by asperities”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 148301(2008).
Kun Zhao and T. G. Mason. “Directing colloidal self-assembly through roughness-controlled depletion attractions”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 268301(2007).
We have open positions for Master and PhD students! For students who are interested, please contact the PI at kunzhao@tju.edu.cn.
Apllicants who have a physics, microbiology or computer science background are also very welcome!