University of Maryland, Baltimore · Microbiology & ImmunologyCdiff Defense Lab
Yongrong Zhang · Baltimore, Maryland
Research Focus
Dr. Yongrong Zhang's lab focuses on innovative approaches to combat Clostridioides difficile infections, a significant health issue linked to antibiotic resistance. The team is developing a probiotic yeast-based therapy that delivers antibodies to inhibit the production of this harmful bacteria. This cutting-edge research not only aims to reduce the infection's severity but also seeks to prevent its spread in healthcare settings.
Clostridioides difficileprobiotic yeastimmunotherapyantibodiesdisease transmission
Research Aims
5AIM 01Develop a probiotic yeast to deliver antibodies against C. difficile
AIM 02Assess the efficacy of bi-specific antibodies in reducing infection severity
AIM 03Evaluate the impact of yeast-based therapy on spore transmission
AIM 04Investigate the functionality of engineered yeast strains in vivo
AIM 05Identify lead antibodies for further therapeutic development
Skills the Lab Values
microbial fermentationanimal modelsantibody engineeringoral administration techniquesbiological assays
Output against the department
Publications49bottom 11% of dept.434th of 486
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations1.2kbottom 7% of dept.451st of 486
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.