Xiang Xiao

Education and Research Experience

  • Bachelor's degree, Huazhong Agricultural University, China (1990)
  • PhD's degree, Huazhong Agricultural University, China (1998)
  • Post-Doctoral, Osnabrueck University, German (1999-2001)
  • Professor, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, China (2001-2008)
  • Distinguished Professor, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China (2009-now)

Research Interests

deep sea microbiology

Simulation of extreme environment in deep sea

Environmental adaptation mechanism of deep-sea extremophiles

Microbial Oceanography

Selected Publications

  • •  

    Xiang Xiao*,Jian Wang,Kang Ding. (2025) MEER: Extraordinary flourishing ecosystem in the deepest ocean, Cell,  188(5): 1175-1177. https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(24)01480-6

     

    •  

    Xiang Xiao*#, Weishu Zhao*#...Xun Xu*, and Shanshan Liu*. (2025) Microbial ecosystems and ecological driving forces in the deepest ocean sediments. Cell, 188(5), 1363-1377. https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(24)01479-X

    •  

    Hao Leng, Yinzhao Wang, Weishu Zhao,Stefan M. Sievert, Xiang Xiao*. (2023) Identification of a deep-branching thermophilic clade sheds light on early bacterial evolution, Nature Communications, 14(1): 4354. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39960-x

    •  

    Weishu Zhao#, Bozitao Zhong#, Lirong Zheng, Pan Tan, Yinzhao Wang, Hao Leng, Nicolas de Souza, Zhuo Liu, Liang Hong*, Xiang Xiao*. (2022). Proteome-wide 3D structure prediction provides insights into the ancestral metabolism of ancient archaea and bacteria, Nature Communications, 13(1): 7861. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-35523-8

    •  

    Xiang Xiao*, Yu Zhang, Fengping Wang. (2021). Hydrostatic pressure is the universal key driver of microbial evolution in the deep ocean and beyond. Environmental Microbiology Reports, 13(1), 68-72.  https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-2229.12915

  • •  

    Yinzhao Wang*, Gunter Wegener, Tom A. Williams, Ruize Xie, Jialin Hou, Chen Tian, Yu Zhang, Fengping Wang, Xiang Xiao*. (2021). A methylotrophic origin of methanogenesis and early divergence of anaerobic multi-carbon alkane metabolism. Science Advances, 7:eabj1453. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abj1453

    •  

    Huahua Jian, Guanpeng Xu, Yi Yi, Yali Hao, Yinzhao Wang, Lei Xiong, Siyuan Wang, Shun-zhang Liu, Canxing Meng, Jiahua Wang, Yue Zhang, Chao Chen, Xiaoyuan Feng, Haiwei Luo, Hao Zhang, Xingguo Zhang, Lianrong Wang, Zhijun Wang, Zixin Deng, Xiang Xiao*. (2021). The origin and impeded dissemination of the DNA phosphorothioation system in prokaryotes. Nature Communications, 12(1): 6382. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26636-7

    •  

    Jiahao Gu, Xiaojun Wang, Xiaopan Ma,Ying Sun, Xiang Xiao*, Haiwei Luo*. (2021). Unexpectedly high mutation rate of a deep-sea hyperthermophilic anaerobic archaeon. The ISME Journal, 15(6), 1862-1869. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41396-020-00888-5

    •  

    Huahua Jian, Yi Yi, Jiahua Wang, Yali Hao, Mujie Zhang, Siyuan Wang, Canxing Meng, Yue Zhang, Hongmei Jing, Yinzhao Wang, Xiang Xiao*. (2021). Diversity and distribution of viruses inhabiting the deepest ocean on Earth. The ISME Journal, 15: 3094–3110. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41396-021-00994-y

    •  

    Yinzhao Wang, Gunter Wegener, Jialin Hou, Fengping Wang, Xiang Xiao*. (2019). Expanding anaerobic alkane metabolism in the domain of Archaea. Nature Microbiology, 4: 595-602. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-019-0364-2