Debabrata Biswas

Dr. Debabrata Biswas is a Professor in the Department of Animal and Avian Sciences and the Center for Food Safety and Security Systems (CFS3) at the University of Maryland, College Park. His research focuses on reducing foodborne pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli, and Campylobacter in food-producing animals and food processing environments. He develops vaccines, natural antimicrobial agents (e.g., plant-derived phenolics and probiotics), and alternative growth promoters for sustainable animal agriculture. His work integrates bacteriology, environmental microbiology, and food safety, with emphasis on zoonotic pathogens and their transmission dynamics in integrated crop-livestock systems.

Key research areas include:

• Antimicrobial mechanisms of natural products and engineered probiotics
• Bacteriophage therapy for pathogen control
• Pre- and post-harvest food safety interventions
• Antibiotic resistance patterns in agricultural environments
• Host-pathogen interactions in animal reservoirs

Dr. Biswas collaborates across disciplines (food science, biological engineering) to address food safety challenges. His laboratory investigates synbiotics (prebiotic-probiotic combinations) and metabolites from genetically modified Lactobacillus strains to combat enteric pathogens. Recent studies also explore rapid detection technologies for foodborne pathogens and the ecological impacts of integrated farming practices on microbial communities.

He has advised numerous projects funded by USDA and industry partnerships, focusing on organic farming practices and sustainable production systems. His work contributes to policy recommendations for safer food supply chains and antimicrobial stewardship in agriculture.