The interaction between the host immune system, gut microbiome, and dietary molecules plays a crucial role in human health and diseases, yet its underlying mechanisms remain largely uncharacterized. As a postdoctoral fellow in Kazuki Nagashima’s lab, Xueyang is interested in investigating this complex interplay to better understand its biological implications.
Xueyang received his Ph.D. in chemistry from Harvard CCB, where he investigated the biochemistry and genetics of Coriobacteriia, a prevalent class of human gut bacteria, in Emily Balskus’s lab. His research focused on developing a genetic toolkit to study these previously intractable microbes, enabling new insights into their roles in polyphenol metabolism. Using these tools, he identified and characterized key metalloenzymes and regulatory proteins, shedding light on how Coriobacteriia interact with dietary polyphenols in the gut.