SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - Kookmin University said in a recent announcement that Jang Yoon-ji, who teaches in the university's Department of Food and Nutrition, has been listed among the 2025 Top 2% Scientists compiled by Stanford University and Elsevier. The listing evaluates citation indicators and research impact to identify leading scholars across global fields, and the university noted that Jang's inclusion highlights her influence in food safety and food science research.
Jang's recent work focuses on global food safety challenges, including the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and foodborne pathogens. She has concentrated on bacteriophage-based technologies that selectively eliminate harmful bacteria while avoiding the broad-spectrum limitations of conventional antimicrobials. Her team has developed powder, hydrogel and antimicrobial film formulations with improved stability and controlled-release features, applying them to food surfaces and packaging materials to explore more precise and environmentally sustainable safety solutions.
Her research portfolio includes several projects supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea, such as studies on microbiome shifts and safety assessments related to phage applications in food systems, as well as the development of selective pathogen control using surface-modified carbon dots. With support from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, she is also working on postbiotic formulations tailored to the intestinal environments of older adults and infants. Additional work includes designing phage-control technologies that regulate phages inhibiting beneficial microorganisms during fermentation.
These projects contribute to functional materials for vulnerable populations, offer pathways toward antibiotic alternatives and support the development of sustainable food safety technologies across the broader food industry.
"It is meaningful to expand the scope of research based on selective microbial-control technologies and to contribute to building sustainable food safety capabilities for both Kookmin University and Korea," Jang said.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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