Education

Research Experience

Research Interests

The human body is colonized by tons of microbes, collectively referred to as human microbiota. More and more studies show that these microbes have very closed connection to human health.Thehuman gutis considered to be the largest interface between the host and microbes. And it has the densest microbe population in the human body. Our understanding of the link between the human gut microbes and disease, including obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis and autism, is rapidly expanding. However, most studies in this field draw conclusions based only on correlations. In my lab, we aim to understand the mechanisms of interaction between the microbiota, pathogens and the host within the human gut through combining multiple approaches. This will help us to understand the mechanisms that connect human gut microbes and human health, thereby providing insights into Microbiome Therapeutics, new therapeutic strategies to keep us healthy.

Research Projects

1. 2018-2022, The functional study on Salmonella effector protein SopD family and the optimization of animal model for human pathogen Salmonella Typhi, National natural science foundation of China (31770143)

2. 2017-2022，Recruitment Program of Global Experts

3. 2017-2022，Taishan Young Scholar

Representative Publications

1.Xiang Gao,Lingquan Deng,Gabrielle Stack,Hai Yu,Xi Chen,Yuko Naito-Matsui,Ajit VarkiandJorge E. Galán(2017) Evolution of host adaptation in the Salmonella typhoid toxin.Nature Microbiology12, 1592-1599 (Highlighted by News and Views in the issue 3(2) of the same journal)

2. Casey Fowler, Shu-Jung Chang,Xiang Gao, Tobias Geiger, Gabrielle Stack andJorge E. Galán(2017) Emerging insights into the biology of typhoid toxin.Curr Opin Microbiol35:70-77 (invited review paper)

3.Stefania Spanò*,Xiang Gao*,Sebastian Hannemann*,María Lara-TejeroandJorge E. Galán(2015) A Bacterial Pathogen Targets a Host Rab-Family GTPase Defense Pathway with a GAP.Cell Host & Microbe19(2):216-26 (*, Co-first author)

4.Lingquan Deng*,Jeongmin Song*,Xiang Gao*, Jiawei Wang, Hai Yu, Xi Chen, Nissi Varki, Yuko Naito-Matsui, Jorge Galan and Ajit Varki (2014) Host adaptation of a bacterial toxin from the human pathogen Salmonella Typhi.Cell159(6):1290-9 (*, Co-first author)

5.Jeongmin Song*,Xiang Gao*&Jorge E. Galán(2013) Structure and function of the Salmonella Typhi chimaeric A(2)B(5) typhoid toxin.Nature499(7458):350-4 (*, Co-first author; Highlighted by News and Views in the same issue of the journal; Highlighted by F1000)

6.Xiang Gao*, Lijun Zhou*, Xuyao Jiao, Feiran Lu, Chuangye Yan, Xin Zeng, Jiawei Wang & Yigong Shi (2010) Mechanism of substrate recognition and transport by an amino acid antiporter.Nature463, 828-832. (*, Co-first author)

7.Xiang Gao*, Feiran Lu*, Lijun Zhou*, Shangyu Dang, Linfeng Sun, Xiaochun Li, Jiawei Wang and Yigong Shi (2009) Structure and Mechanism of an Amino Acid Antiporter.Science324, 1565-1568 (*, Co-first author; Highlighted by F1000)

Honors and awards

2017: Recruitment Program of Global Experts, Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee

2015: Blavatnik Regional Award Finalist, Blavatnik Family Foundation and New York Academy of Sciences

2014: James Hudson Brown - Alexander B. Coxe Fellowship, Yale University

2011: The Ray Wu Prize for Excellence in Life Sciences, Ray Wu Memorial Fund

2010: Selected to attend the 60th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, The Sino-German Center

2010: Top Graduate Scholarship, Tsinghua University

Professional Activities:

2016: Invited talk, Blavatnik Science Symposium, Jul., New York, USA

2011: Invited talk, as the awardee and student representative at Ray Wu Symposium, Oct., Shanghai, China

2010: Poster, Membrane Proteins: Structure & Function, Cold Spring Harbor Asia Conference, May, Suzhou, China

2010: 60th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings,Jul., Lindau, Germany

2009:Invited talk, 21st IUBMB & 12th FAOBMB, International Congress of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Aug., Shanghai, China