A paper titled “Enzyme-responsive calcium-crosslinked pectin films for controlled release of bacteriophage,” with Ph.D. candidate Chung Ji Yoon (advisor: Professor Chang Yoon Jee) from the Department of Food and Nutrition at our university's Graduate School as the first author, has been published in Food Hydrocolloids, a top-tier international journal in the food, materials, and bio sectors.

 Food Hydrocolloids (IF: 12.4, JCR top 1.9%) is one of the world's most influential journals in food packaging materials and functional hydrocolloids research. This paper is recognized as the first instance in food engineering to precisely regulate bacteriophage release using an enzyme-responsive mechanism. 

Professor Chang Yoon Jee's research team uniformly dispersed bacteriophages within a pectin-based polymer film. They then enhanced the film's moisture resistance and mechanical strength through a cross-linking process using calcium ions. Specifically, they designed the system so that when a specific enzyme secreted by the target bacteria degrades the film, the bacteriophages are released at that precise moment, implementing a ‘smart antimicrobial packaging’ technology that operates selectively when needed. The team comprehensively analyzed the film's dissolution rate, mechanical properties, bacteriophage activity, and antimicrobial effect against the target bacteria, demonstrating its stability and efficacy in real food systems. 

This achievement represents a sustainable antimicrobial packaging technology that can reduce antibiotic use and enhance food safety, with significant potential for future application across diverse food groups such as dairy products and processed seafood. Student Jeong Ji-yoon, the first author who led this research, stated, “This study has further broadened the industrial applicability of bacteriophage technology,” adding, “I aspire to continue contributing to the development of safe and sustainable food preservation technologies.”