Xie Lab

I have a broad interest in biological science and technology and my research is highly interdisciplinary. On one hand, I am very interested in understanding some fundamental questions in biology, particularly the origin and early evolution of eukaryotic life and the formation of new species. On the other hand, I try to make my research relevant to the real problems facing human society and the environment, including virus evolution, how environmental pollution causes human diseases like cancer, and how human activities affect phytoplanktons in aquatic systems. And some of our projects try to address both fundamental biological questions and create practical applications, including our study of cellulose-degradation microbiomes and bioluminescent fungi. All our research employ large-scale molecular data and bioinformatic analyses, and often field study.