Abhinav Upadhyay

Assistant Professor- Food Science, Food Microbiology, Preharvest and postharvest poultry safety

Contact

   Office Phone: 860-486-6585

   Email: Abhinav.Upadhyay@uconn.edu

Office: Agricultural Biotechnology Building, Room 220C

   Lab: Agricultural Biotechnology Building, Room 233

   Lab Phone: 860-486-6617

Background

Education

Ph.D. (Animal Science), University of Connecticut, 2014
M.V.Sc. (Veterinary Microbiology), RAJUVAS, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India, 2009
B.V.Sc. (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine), Pondicherry University, Pondicherry, India, 2007

Before taking up his current position at UConn, Dr. Upadhyay worked at the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, University of Arkansas as a postdoctoral research associate and as research cooperator for Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Fayetteville, AR.

Academics

Area of Interest

The overall aim of my research is to develop effective intervention strategies for controlling foodborne pathogens by characterizing their pathophysiology and interactions with the environment and the host. Built on the principle of “farm-to-fork” food safety, my current research focuses on four broad areas, namely (I) reducing pathogen survival in poultry gut, (II) controlling the persistence of foodborne pathogens in processing environment, (III) inactivation of pathogens in food products and (IV) reducing the infection process of foodborne pathogens in humans.

Research Interests

Improving preharvest and postharvest poultry safety and production
Identification of novel antimicrobials for controlling foodborne pathogens
Developing novel carriers for improving the delivery and efficacy of antimicrobials

Awards and Fellowships

USDA-ARS innovation award for comparative bacterial proteomic analysis of chicken gut microbiota, 2018.
USDA-ARS Innovation award for developing antibiotic alternatives for controlling foodborne pathogens and diseases in poultry, 2017.
USDA-ARS fellowship for developing and characterizing novel chicken enterocyte culture system for testing antibiotic alternatives, 2016.
Z. John Ordal research award from the Institute of Food Technologists for developing mitigation strategies against Listeria monocytogenes biofilms, 2013.
Animal Science outstanding graduate student award, 2013.
Nutmeg Institute of Food Technologists scholarship for his work on using essential oils and probiotics for controlling Listeria monocytogenes, 2012.

In the News

UConn Researcher to Lead New Sustainable Poultry Production Project - UConn Today, August 2020

Publications (Selected)

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=w-8h4uIAAAAJ&hl=en

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6064-4858

Wagle, B.R., Upadhyay, A., Shrestha, S., Arsi, K., Upadhyaya, I., Donoghue, A.M. and Donoghue, D.J., 2018. Pectin or chitosan coating fortified with eugenol reduces Campylobacter jejuni on chicken wingettes and modulates expression of critical survival genes. Poultry science.

Nair, M.S., Upadhyay, A., Fancher, S., Upadhyaya, I., Dey, S., Kollanor-Johny, A., Zhao, J. and Venkitanarayanan, K., 2018. Inhibition and Inactivation of Escherichia coli O157: H7 biofilms by Selenium. Journal of food protection, 81(6), pp.926-933.

Upadhyay, A., Arsi, K., Wagle, B.R., Upadhyaya, I., Shrestha, S., Donoghue, A.M., & Donoghue, D.J. 2017. Trans-Cinnamaldehyde, carvacrol, and eugenol reduce Campylobacter jejuni colonization factors and expression of virulence genes in vitro. Frontiers in Microbiology, 8, 713.

Upadhyay, A., Arsi, K., Upadhyaya, I., Donoghue, A.M., Donoghue, D.J. 2017. Natural and environmentally friendly strategies for controlling Campylobacter jejuni colonization in poultry, survival in poultry products and infection in humans. Accepted in: Food Safety in Poultry Meat Production, Springer Publishing Group.

Wagle, B.R., Upadhyay, A., Arsi, K., Shrestha, S., Venkitanarayanan, K., Donoghue, A.M. and Donoghue, D.J., 2017. Application of β-resorcylic acid as potential antimicrobial feed additive to reduce campylobacter colonization in broiler chickens. Frontiers in microbiology, 8, p.599.

Bhattaram, V., Upadhyay, A., Yin, H.B., Mooyottu, S. and Venkitanarayanan, K., 2017. Effect of Dietary Minerals on Virulence Attributes of Vibrio cholerae. Frontiers in microbiology, 8, p.911.

Mooyottu, S., Flock, G., Upadhyay, A., Upadhyaya, I., Maas, K. and Venkitanarayanan, K., 2017. Protective effect of carvacrol against gut dysbiosis and clostridium difficile associated disease in a mouse model. Frontiers in microbiology, 8, p.625.

Hobbies/ Non-Academic Interests

Sports-Badminton, Cricket, Tennis, Soccer
Reading
Movies, music and cooking

Animal Science