Dr. Honghao Zhao is a distinguished researcher at Tianjin Agricultural University specializing in sustainable aquaculture, fish nutrition, and aquatic physiology. Her research focuses on developing eco-friendly feed strategies using alternative protein sources such as defatted black soldier fly larvae and functional additives including bile acids and Chinese herbal compounds to enhance fish growth, health, and flesh quality. By integrating multi-omics techniques such as metabolomics and transcriptomics, she elucidates the molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying nutrient utilization and muscle development in aquatic species. As Principal Investigator, Dr. Zhao has successfully led multiple research projects funded by national and provincial programs, contributing significantly to the advancement of aquaculture nutrition science. Her prolific scholarly output includes numerous publications in high-impact international journals like Applied Food Research, Aquaculture, Frontiers in Physiology, and GigaScience, with her studies widely cited for their innovation and relevance to sustainable aquaculture practices. Her research excellence is further reflected in her Scopus record, with 566 citations, an h-index of 10, and a growing influence across global aquaculture and biotechnology communities. Through her interdisciplinary approach and applied research outcomes, Dr. Zhao continues to bridge scientific discovery and industry application, promoting environmentally sustainable and nutritionally optimized aquaculture systems that support global food security and resource conservation.
Featured Publications:
Zhao, H.*, Fu, Y., Zheng, X. J., Sun, X. L., Shen, J. W., & Fang, Z. Z. (2025). Gut microbiota mediates the improved growth, flesh quality and intestinal health of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) fed defatted Hermetia illucens larvae meal. Applied Food Research, 101456.
Zhao, H.*, Fu, Y., Zheng, X. J., Huang, X. R., & Yan, K. (2025). The improvement of adding bile acid to high-level black soldier fly larvae meal-based diet on quality of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Aquaculture Nutrition, 2218372.
Duan, Y. N., Zhao, H., Qin, C. J., Ma, L., Bi, X. D., Song, T., & Sun, X. L. (2024). Astragalus polysaccharides, cinnamaldehyde and their complexes affected growth, physicochemical parameters, histomorphology and flesh quality of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Aquaculture Reports, 35, 101989.
Zhao, H., Chong, J., & Li, D. P. (2023). Integrated multiple-omics reveals the regulatory mechanism underlying the effects of artificial feed and grass feeding on growth and muscle quality of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus). Aquaculture, 562, 738808.
Li, X. T., Qin, C. J., Fang, Z. Z., Sun, X. L., Shi, H. Y., Wang, Q. K., & Zhao, H.* (2022). Replacing dietary fish meal with defatted black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae meal affected growth, digestive physiology and muscle quality of tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis). Frontiers in Physiology, 13, 855957.