Dr. Xiao’s research has focused on the deep-sea ecosystem and extremophile since 2001. Great efforts have been made in the qualitative and quantitative description of microorganisms using molecular methods and the investigations of novel microbial processes in deep-sea hydrothermal vents, cold seep, hadal trench and Antarctic/Arctic. To continue the glory of deep life investigation and strengthen international collaborations, the Deep Life community announced the inauguration of the International Center for Deep Life Investigation (IC-DLI) in October 2018. As the dean of Executive Committee of IC-DLI, Dr Xiao and colleagues establish an international platform in which researchers will share ideas and push knowledge boundaries on deep life. The IC-DLI is an open platform that will establish a world-class hub for deep life investigators worldwide.

Taken responsibilities in series national extremophile microbiology research programs such as Deep-sea cultivable and uncultured microorganism (863, 2004-2005, 2007-2010), Deep-sea microorganism and carbon cycle (973 sub, 2001-2005), Deep-sea biological and genetic resources (COMRA, 2001-2010), Deep-sea cold seep (NSFC-key funds 2009-2012), National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (Biology Oceanography, 2006, Deep-sea hydrothermal vent research (NSFC-key funds 2016-2020), Characteristics and life evolution process in hadal trenches (MOST funds 2019-2022) Deep-sea and deep biosphere research (NSFC-Innovation Group funds 2020-2024). Prof. Xiao leaded COMRA deep-sea hydrothermal vent biodiversity research cruise in 2008 and China manned deep-sea submersible cruise in 2014-2015 as chief scientist. More than 100 peer-reviewed research articles were published in last ten years.

List of 5 major publications:
1. Wang YZ, Wegener G, Hou J, Wang FP, Xiao X. Expanding anaerobic alkane metabolism in the domain of Archaea. Nature Microbiology. 2019; 4: 595-602
2. Jian HH, Xu G, Liu S, Hao Y, Meng C, Xu J, Zhang Y, Liu X, Xiao X. Multiple Mechanisms Are Involved in Repression of Filamentous Phage SW1 Transcription by the DNA-Binding Protein FpsR. J Mol Biol. 2019; 431(6):1113-1126.
3. Zhang Y, Li XG, Bartlett DH, Xiao X. Current developments in marine microbiology: high-pressure biotechnology and the genetic engineering of piezophiles. Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2015; 33:157-164.
4. Chen Y, Wang FP, Xu J, Mehmood MA, Xiao X. Physiological and evolutionary studies of NAP systems in Shewanella piezotolerans WP3. ISME J. 2011;5(5):843-855.
5. Wang FP, Zhou HY, Meng J, Peng XT, Jiang LJ, Sun P, Zhang CL, Van Nostrand JD, Deng Y, He ZL, Wu LY, Zhou JZ, Xiao X. GeoChip-based analysis of metabolic diversity of microbial communities at the Juan de Fuca Ridge hydrothermal vent. P Natl Acad Sci USA. 2009;106(12):4840-4845.