Academic Qualification

Ph.D. in Energy and Resource Engineering, Peking University

Bachelor in Environmental Science, Wuhan University

Teaching Area

Bioengineering

Water Quality

Environmental Microbiology

Research Area

Environmental Microbiome

Microalgal Biotechnology

Natural Products

Antibiotic Resistance

Working Experience

Sep. 2026 ~ present, Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Faculty of Innovation Engineering, MUST

Jun. 2023 ~ Aug. 2026, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong

Jun. 2022 ~ Jun. 2023, Post-doctoral Fellow, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong

Sep. 2021 ~ Jun. 2022, Post-doctoral Fellow, State Key Lab of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong

Jul. 2019~ Sep. 2021, Post-doctoral Fellow, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University

Academic Publication (selected)

1.          Xuemei Mao, Xiaole Yin, Yu Yang, …, Kenneth M. Y. Leung*, Tong Zhang*. (2025). Longitudinal metagenomic analysis on antibiotic resistome, mobilome, and microbiome of river ecosystems in a sub-tropical metropolitan city. Water Research, 274: 123102.

2.          Yuxiang Zhao, Zishu Liu, Xi Chen, Yue Huang, Shuxian Li, Xuemei Mao, …, Baolan Hu*, Lizhong Zhu*, Tong Zhang*. (2026) Environmental effectiveness of the National Action Plan to Contain Antimicrobial Resistance: evidence from Chinese soil. National Science Review, 13(14), nwag387.

3.          Xianghui Shi, Yu Yang, Chunxiao Wang, Xiaoqing Xu, Xuemei Mao, …, Tong Zhang*. (2025) Microbial Risk Assessment Across Diverse Environments Based on Metagenomic Absolute Quantification with Cellular Internal Standard. Nature Water, 3(4), 473-485.

4.          Yue Huang, Xuemei Mao, Xiawan Zheng, …, Tong Zhang*. (2025). Longitudinal dynamics and cross-domain interactions of eukaryotic populations in wastewater treatment plants. The ISME Journal, 19(1), wraf058.

5.          Xuemei Mao, Xiaole Yin, Yu Yang, …, Tong Zhang*. (2024). Standardization in global environmental antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) surveillance. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 54(22): 1-18.

6.          Xuemei Mao, Xia Wang, Mengdie Ge, Feng Chen, Bin Liu*. (2022) New insights into xanthophylls and lipidomic profile changes induced by glucose supplementation in the marine diatom Nitzschia laevis. Marine drugs, 20(7), 456.

7.          Xiaojie Li, Xuemei Mao, Weiying Xie, Bin Liu, Feng Chen*. (2022) Intracellular biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles for monitoring microalgal biomass via surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 10(15), 4872-4880.

8.          Xuemei Mao, Mengdie Ge, Xia Wang, …, Feng Chen*. (2021) Transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses provide novel insights into glucose-induced trophic transition of the marine diatom Nitzschia laevis. Marine drugs, 19(8): 426.

9.          Xuemei Mao, Yongmin Lao, Han Sun, …, Feng Chen*. (2020) Time-resolved transcriptome analysis during transitions of sulfur nutritional status provides insight into triacylglycerol (TAG) and astaxanthin accumulation in the green alga Chromochloris zofingiensis. Biotechnology for Biofuels, 13: 1-18.

10.      Xuemei Mao, Stephenie Hiu Yuet Chen, Xue Lue, Jianfeng Yu, Bin Liu*. (2020) High silicate concentration facilitates fucoxanthin and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) production under heterotrophic condition in the marine diatom Nitzschia laevis. Algal Research, 52: 102086.

11.      Xuemei Mao#, Yu Zhang#, Xiaofei Wang#, Jin Liu*. (2020) Novel insights into salinity-induced lipogenesis and carotenogenesis in the oleaginous astaxanthin-producing alga Chromochloris zofngiensis: a multi-omics study. Biotechnology for Biofuels, 13: 1-24.

12.      Xuemei Mao, Tao Wu, Yaping Kou, …, Jin Liu*. (2019) Characterization of type I and type II diacylglycerol acyltransferases from the emerging model alga Chlorella zofingiensis reveals their functional complementarity and engineering potential. Biotechnology for Biofuels, 12: 1-17.

13.      Xuemei Mao, Tao Wu, Dongzhe Sun, Zhao Zhang, Feng Chen*. (2018). Differential responses of the green microalga Chlorella zofingiensis to the starvation of various nutrients for oil and astaxanthin production. Bioresource Technology, 249: 791-798.

Research Grants

2025.10 -- 2028.09    Comprehensive understanding of secondary metabolite biosynthesis and its roles in mediating functional populations in activated sludge systems (GRF-HK)

2019.11 -- 2021.06    Mechanism of astaxanthin accumulation induced by high salinity stress in Chlorella zofingiensis (China Postdoctoral Science Foundation Project)

Professional Society Membership

Member, the International Water Association

Member, International Society for Microbial Ecology