Dr. Dongyan Xu Niu

PhD, MSc

Positions

Associate Professor (Teaching & Research) - Food Safety and Biotechnology

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Fulltime

Adjunct Associate Professor

Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases

Affiliations

Adjunct Professor

University of Alberta

Contact information

dongyan.niu@ucalgary.ca

Web presence

Dongyan Xu Niu's Lab

Phone number

Office: +1 (403) 210-3847

Location

Office: CWPH2D20

Background

Educational Background

BSc. Food Science and Engineering (with distinction), Dalian Polytechnic University, 2002

M.Sc. Animal Biotechnology/Genetic engineering, Dalian University of Technology , 2005

Ph.D. Microbiology /Biochemical Engineering (with distinction), Dalian University of Technology, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2009

Post-Doctorate Bacteriophage Genomics and Ecology, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2012

Biography

I am an Associate Professor, who joined Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary in September 2017. I am also adjunct Associate Professor at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary and University of Alberta, as well as leading the Microbiology Laboratory of the Advancing Canadian Water Assets, Calgary.

I have extensive expertise in zoonotic pathogens, bacteriophages, food safety, antimicrobial resistance and animal infectious disease. I received training in bacteriology, virology, animal science and biotechnology, molecular biology, biochemical engineering as well as food science and technology.

Before joining the faculty, I worked in Alberta Agriculture Government as a Beef Virologist. I gained doctoral degree from Dalian University of Technology, China and received training of bacteriology, virology, biochemistry and biotechnology in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada where I conducted a joint PhD program and postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Tim McAllister and Dr. Kim Stanford.

I have led/co-led on >25 externally funded research grants (total value ~$8.6M) from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), Tri-Council (NSERC, CIHR) and the provincial government (Alberta Funding Consortium, Results Driven Agriculture Research, Alberta Research Capacity Program, Alberta Innovates, Major Innovation Funds); industry (Swine Innovation Proc, Egg Farmers of Canada and Alberta, Beef Cattle Research Council, Alberta Beef Producers, Saskatchewan Cattle Association, and Mitacs).

Research

Areas of Research

Bacteriophage Theme

Bacteriophages—nature’s most abundant and specialized viruses—are found in nearly every corner of the Earth. We are driven by a passion to uncover how these microscopic warriors precisely target bacterial hosts, outmaneuver their evolving defenses, and interact with the cells of more complex organisms. By harnessing cutting-edge omics technologies, we aim to unlock the hidden potential of phages to revolutionize medicine, combat antibiotic resistance, and safeguard our food systems.

Our research programs centers on elucidating the complex interactions among bacteriophages, bacterial hosts, and eukaryotic cells across diverse ecological niches. Our work bridges curiosity and innovation, turning fundamental discoveries into real-world solutions.

Developing phage-based biotechnologies
Optimizing phage therapy for bacterial infections in both veterinary and human medicine
Addressing the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
Enhancing food safety across the production chain
Tackling zoonotic diseases at the interface of human and animal health

Zoonotic pathogen Theme

The research activities are centered on defining mechanisms that promote persistence and transmission of zoonotic pathogens in the entire food production system using cutting-edge technologies (e.g. single cell RNA-seq and live-cell imaging microscopy). Our current focuses are

Towards an understanding of the molecular and cellular basis for biofilm formation of zoonotic pathogens in gastrointestinal and respiratory tract of animal and food processing environment.
Study physiological growth parameters, population dynamics and alternations of virulence traits of microbial pathogens under real food production environments; 3) Investigate footprint and persistence of antimicrobial resistance genes in livestock production system using metagenomics approaches.
Develop robust, rapid, sensitive and innovative technologies for real-time detection of foodborne pathogens and diagnosis of infectious disease. Currently, we are dedicated to advancing isothermal nucleic acid amplification methods integrated with CRISPR and/or electrochemical platforms for the diagnosis of infectious diseases in both humans and animals, as well as for the detection of antimicrobial resistance (AMR)