Jie Zhu, Ph.D.

Professor in Biophysics (Agricultural & Food Biophysics);

Principal Investigator,  Agricultural & Food Biophysics Innovation Team;

Director & Supervisor,  Graduate Program of Biophysics(M.S., Ph.D., Postdoc);

Director,  Institute of Biophysics, College of Science, Northwest A&F University;

Director,  Lab of Muscle & Meat Science, National Beef Cattle Improvement Center;

Address:  Room C510, Science Building, North Campus, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.

E-mail:  jiezhu@nwafu.edu.cn.

Education and Training

Postdoc (Muscle Biology & Meat Science),   Purdue University-West Lafayette @ USA

Postdoc (Animal Husbandry & Veterinary),   Northwest A&F University @ China

Visiting Ph.D. (Biophysics),   Argonne National Laboratories, Dept of Energy @ USA

Ph.D. (Biophysics),   Northwest A&F University @ China

M.S. (Acoustics),   Shaanxi Normal University @ China

B.S.   (  Physics),   Shaanxi Normal University @ China

Research Areas and Topics

Molecular and Cellular Biophysics in Agriculture and Food Science

1. Ultrastructure and biomechanics of muscle, collagen, lipids, polysaccharides in animal and plant genetics, breeding and growth;

2. Tenderization, gelatinization and functionalization of agricultural products including meat, milk, lipids, starch, dietary fiber and plant protein;

3. Storage and fresh-keeping technologies for agricultural products including Meat, milk, egg, fruits and vegetables.

Selected Publications as Corresponding author

Authored and co-authored more than 120 research papers in peer-reviewed journals in Molecular and Cellular Biophysics for Agriculture and Food Science. Selected publications are listed as follows:

[1]. Hui Wang, Shengying Fei, Yifei Wang, Linsen Zan, Jie Zhu*. Comparative study on the self-assembly of pectin and alginate molecules regulated by calcium ions investigated by atomic force microscopy.  Carbohydrate Polymers,  2020, 231, e115673(IF="10.723)

[2]. Yongfang Gao, Can Luo, Junyao Zhang, Huijuan Wei, Linsen Zan, Jie Zhu*. Konjac glucomannan improves the gel properties of low salt myofibrillar protein through modifying protein conformation.  Food Chemistry, 2022, 393:e133400 (IF="9.231)

[3]. Beibei He, Shancan Wang, Ping Lan*, Weihua Wang*, Jie Zhu*. Topography and physical properties of carboxymethyl cellulose films assembled with calcium and gelatin at different temperature and humidity.  Food Chemistry , 2022, 382: e132391. (IF="9.231)

[4]. Yunfei Wan^#, Yongfang Gao^#, Jianhang Shao, Aidana Tumarbekova, Dequan Zhang*. Jie Zhu*. Effects of ultrasound and thermal treatment on the ultrastructure of collagen fibers from bovine tendon using atomic force microscopy.  Food Chemistry , 2021, 338: e128985(IF="9.231)

[5]. Yunpeng Hu, Lan Zhang, Yuwen Yi, Iftikhar Solangi, Linsen Zan, Jie Zhu*. Effects of sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate and sodium pyrophosphate on the ultrastructure of beef myofibrillar proteins investigated with atomic force microscopy.  Food Chemistry , 2021, 338: e128146(IF="9.231)

[6]. Yunpeng Hu, Yongfang Gao, Iftikhar Solangi, Shucheng Liu*, Jie Zhu*. Effects of Tea Polyphenols on the Conformational, Functional, and Morphological Characteristics of Beef Myofibrillar Proteins. LWT-Food Science and Technology , 2022, 154:112596(IF="6.056)

[7]. Beibei He, Yifei Wang, Zixuan Jiang, Shucheng Liu*, Jie Zhu*. Physical properties and a{Bilbao-Sainz, 2010 #252}ntibacterial activity of the composited films based on carboxymethyl cellulose and gelatin functionalized with ε-polylysine.  International Journal of Biological Macromolecules , 2021, 191:1126-1136 (IF="8.025)

[8]. Beibei He, Weihua Wang, Yixuan Song, Ying Ou, Jie Zhu^*. Structural and physical properties of carboxymethyl cellulose/gelatin films functionalized with antioxidant of bamboo leaves.  International Journal of Biological Macromolecules,  2020, 164, 1649-1656(IF="8.025)

[9]. Jie Zhu*, RS Madhurapantul, A Kalyanasundaram, T Sabharwal, O Antipova, SW Bishnoi, JPRO Orgel*. Ultrastructural Location and Interactions of the Immunoglobulin Receptor Binding Sequence within Fibrillar Type I Collagen.  International Journal of Molecular Sciences,  2020, 21, e4166 (IF="6.208)

[10]. Yunfei Wan, Hui Wang, Weihua Wang, Linsen Zan^*, Jie Zhu^*. Effect of Ultrasound and Calcium Chloride on the Ultrastructure and the Warner-Bratzler Shear Force Value of Beef Shank Muscle Fibers.  Food Biophysics , 2018, 13(4): 396–403(IF="3.340)

Recent Grants Supporting

National Key R&D Program of China, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Provincial Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Provincial Key R&D Program of Shaanxi, Provincial Key R&D Program of Ningxia, The Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.

Group Members

There are 16 members in Prof. Zhu’s Group, including 1 Postdoctoral researcher, 10 Ph.D. students, 5 M.S. students. Among these members, there are 3 Ph.D. students from Pakistan and 1 M.S. student from Kazakhstan.

Warmly welcome outstanding young people with interdisciplinary backgrounds in biology, animal husbandry, food science, chemistry, etc., who have good communication skills and research enthusiasm to join the innovation team!

Scholarship Application and Admission Details

CSC: https://studyinchina.csc.edu.cn/#/register

NWAFU:https://nwsuaf.17gz.org

Agency Number 10712  ，

Program category: Type B

College: College of Science,

Discipline: Biology,

Major: Biophysics