Weishu Zhao, and Xiang Xiao*. (2026) Seeking the invisible microbial oases in extreme environments. Cell Host & Microbe, 34(8): 1504-1508. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2026.07.005

Wei-Jia Zhang#, Aoran Hu#, Ziheng Wu#, Liangting Liu#, Chen Li, Yujue Wang, Zhanfei Wei, Rui Lu, Jun Li, Yang He, Taoliang Zhang, Shanshan Liu, Jing Wang, Liang Meng*, Xiang Xiao*, and Weishu Zhao*. (2026) Unveiling active microbial processes in Earth’s deepest seawater. Cell Host & Microbe, 34(8):1540-1559. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2026.07.001

Weishu Zhao#, Jing Wang#, Chuanxu Chen#, Aijun Jiang, Yinzhao Wang, Aoran Hu, Qi Qi, Yunru Chen, Weikang Sui, Liang Dong, Yao Zhang, and Xiang Xiao*. (2026) Hadal topography incubates hidden microbial hotspots in the deepest ocean. Cell Host & Microbe, 34(8): 1523-1539. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2026.06.015

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

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

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