Education

• Ph.D. (1994–1997): Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) & Peking Union Medical College (PUMC)
• M.S. (1991–1994): Department of Biology, Beijing Normal University
• B.S. (1987–1991): Department of Biology, Beijing Normal University

Professional Experience

• 2024.11–Present: Director-General, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, CAS
• 2023.11–2024.11: Deputy Director-General, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, CAS
• 2018–2023: Deputy Director-General, Institute of Microbiology, CAS
• 2017–2023: Director, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources
• 2003–Present: Professor and Ph.D. Supervisor, Institute of Microbiology, CAS
• 2001-2003: Associate Professor, Institute of Microbiology, CAS
• 1999–2001: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), USA
• 1997–1999: Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Microbiology, CAS

Academic Appointments

• Editorial Roles:
• Associate Editor: mLife, Frontiers in Microbiology, Frontiers in Genome Editing, Journal of Genetics and Genomics (-2020)
• Editorial Board Member: The Innovation, Applied and Environmental Microbiology (-2020), Biology, Laser Journal of Biology, Acta Microbiologica Sinica
• Leadership Roles:
• Secretary-General, Chinese Society for Microbiology
• Vice President, Chinese Society of Genetics
• Deputy Director, Synthetic Biology Committee, Chinese Society of Biotechnology
• Academic Affiliations:
• Professor, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS)
• Professor, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC)

(*Corresponding author)

[1] Guo J, Gong L, Yu H, Li M, An Q, Liu Z, Fan S, Yang C, Zhao D, Han J, Xiang H*. Engineered minimal type I CRISPR-Cas system for transcriptional activation and base editing in human cells. Nature Communications. 2024;15(1):7277. Doi:10.1038/s41467-024-51695-x

[2] Zhao D, Zhang S, Chen J, Zhao J, An P, Xiang H*. Members of the class Candidatus Ordosarchaeia imply an alternative evolutionary scenario from methanogens to haloarchaea. The ISME Journal. 2024;18(1). Doi:10.1093/ismejo/wrad033

[3] Liu C, Wang R, Li J, Cheng F, Shu X, Zhao H, Xue Q, Yu H, Wu A, Wang L, Hu S, Zhang Y, Yang J, Xiang H*, Li M*. Widespread RNA-based cas regulation monitors crRNA abundance and anti-CRISPR proteins. Cell Host & Microbe. 2023;31(9):1481-93 e6. Doi:10.1016/j.chom.2023.08.005

[4] Cheng F, Wu A, Liu C, Cao X, Wang R, Shu X, Wang L, Zhang Y, Xiang H*, Li M*. The toxin-antitoxin RNA guards of CRISPR-Cas evolved high specificity through repeat degeneration. Nucleic Acids Research. 2022;50(16):9442-52. Doi:10.1093/nar/gkac712

[5] Xu T, Chen J, Mitra R, Lin L, Xie Z, Chen GQ, Xiang H*, Han J*. Deficiency of exopolysaccharides and O-antigen makes Halomonas bluephagenesis self-flocculating and amenable to electrotransformation. Communications Biology. 2022;5(1):623. Doi:10.1038/s42003-022-03570-y

[6] Li M, Gong L, Cheng F, Yu H, Zhao D, Wang R, Wang T, Zhang S, Zhou J, Shmakov SA, Koonin EV, Xiang H*. Toxin-antitoxin RNA pairs safeguard CRISPR-Cas systems. Science. 2021;372(6541). Doi:10.1126/science.abe5601

[7] Cheng F, Wang R, Yu H, Liu C, Yang J, Xiang H*, Li M*. Divergent degeneration of creA antitoxin genes from minimal CRISPRs and the convergent strategy of tRNA-sequestering CreT toxins. Nucleic Acids Research. 2021;49(18):10677-88. Doi:10.1093/nar/gkab821

[8] Gong L, Li M, Cheng F, Zhao D, Chen Y, Xiang H*. Primed adaptation tolerates extensive structural and size variations of the CRISPR RNA guide in Haloarcula hispanica. Nucleic Acids Research. 2019;47(11):5880-91. Doi:10.1093/nar/gkz244

[9] Xu Z, Li M, Li Y, Cao H, Miao L, Xu Z, Higuchi Y, Yamasaki S, Nishino K, Woo PCY, Xiang H*, Yan A*. Native CRISPR-Cas-mediated genome editing enables dissecting and sensitizing clinical multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa. Cell Reports. 2019;29(6):1707-17 e3. Doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2019.10.006

[10] Li M, Gong L, Zhao D, Zhou J, Xiang H*. The spacer size of I-B CRISPR is modulated by the terminal sequence of the protospacer. Nucleic Acids Research. 2017;45(8):4642-54. Doi:10.1093/nar/gkx229

[11] Wang R, Li M, Gong L, Hu S, Xiang H*. DNA motifs determining the accuracy of repeat duplication during CRISPR adaptation in Haloarcula hispanica. Nucleic Acids Research. 2016;44(9):4266-77. Doi:10.1093/nar/gkw260

[12] Yang H, Wu Z, Liu J, Liu X, Wang L, Cai S, Xiang H*. Activation of a dormant replication origin is essential for Haloferax mediterranei lacking the primary origins. Nature Communications. 2015;6:8321. Doi:10.1038/ncomms9321

[13] Wu Z, Liu J, Yang H, Liu H, Xiang H*. Multiple replication origins with diverse control mechanisms in Haloarcula hispanica. Nucleic Acids Research. 2014;42(4):2282-94. Doi:10.1093/nar/gkt1214

[14] Li M, Wang R, Zhao D, Xiang H*. Adaptation of the Haloarcula hispanica CRISPR-Cas system to a purified virus strictly requires a priming process. Nucleic Acids Research. 2014;42(4):2483-92. Doi:10.1093/nar/gkt1154

[15] Li M, Wang R, Xiang H*. Haloarcula hispanica CRISPR authenticates PAM of a target sequence to prime discriminative adaptation. Nucleic Acids Research. 2014;42(11):7226-35. Doi:10.1093/nar/gku389