Jun Zhu

Jun Zhu is a Professor of Microbiology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. He holds graduate group affiliations with Cell and Molecular Biology and Biology. His research focuses on bacterial pathogenesis, particularly Vibrio cholerae and Clostridium difficile, investigating how pathogens sense and respond to host environments through

• Redox-based signaling
• Quorum sensing mechanisms
• Biofilm dynamics
• Metal ion homeostasis
• Microbiome interactions

Recent publications demonstrate his work on

• Thiol-based transcriptional switches (2016-2022)
• Music-induced microbiome modulation (2025)
• Nitrosative stress adaptation (2025)
• Colistin resistance-phage susceptibility dynamics (2019)

His laboratory employs genetic screens, biochemical techniques, animal models, and deep sequencing to study host-pathogen interactions.

Key findings include

• Quorum sensing's role in virulence and biofilm production
• Bile salt-induced virulence activation (2008-2013)
• Calcium's role in virulence signaling (2016)
• Redox-regulated stress response systems (2011-2017)