Assistant Professor
Principal Investigator
Institute: Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies (SIAIS)
School of Life Science and Technology (SLST)
Email: xuht@shanghaitech.edu.cn
Laboratory: Translational Chemical Biology
Research Interests:
1. Development of combinatorial library technology (Phage display, mRNA display, DEL)
2. Development of label-free, live-cell selection system
3. Selenium-based medicinal & chemical biology
Biography
2026.8-present PI, Principal Investigator & Tenure-track Assistant Professor, SIAIS & SLST (School of Life Science and Technology), ShanghaiTech
2020.7-2026.7 Research Associate Professor, Lab of Antibody Design, SIAIS, ShanghaiTech
2017.10-2020.7 Research Assistant Professor, Lab of Antibody Design, SIAIS, ShanghaiTech
2014.8-2017.9 Postdoc, Lab of Antibody Chemistry, SIAIS, ShanghaiTech
2009.9-2014.7 Ph.D., Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, CAS
2002.9-2006.7 B.S., Zhengzhou University
Selected Publications
1. J. Li*, Y. Yao*, S. Zhang*, W. Wang, W. Bi, J. Lv, W. Hou#, P. Ma#, H. Xu#, Splint RNA-mediated Single-stranded DNA-Encoded Library Construction and Label-free Live Cell Selection, Chem. 2026, 12, 102945.
2. W. Zhou*, Y. Wang*, S. Zhang*, C. Zhang*, J. Pang, S. Hou, J. Li, Y. Yao, A. Su#, P. Ma#, H. Xu#, W. Hou#, Highly Selective and AI-Predictable Se-N Exchange Chemistry Between Benzoselenazolones and Boronic Acids for Programmable, Parallel, and DNA-Encoded Library Synthesis, Chem. Sci. 2026, 17, 225-239.
3. W. Hou*,#, X. Zhou*, Z. Yang*, H. Xia*, Y. Wang, K. Xu, S. Hou, S. Zhang, D. Cui, P. Ma, W. Zhou#, H. Xu#, Multicomponent Reaction Integrating Selenium(II)-Nitrogen Exchange (SeNEx) Chemistry and Copper-Catalyzed Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition (CuAAC), Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2025, 64, e202500942.
4. W. Hou*, S. Zhang*, W. Yi#, P. Ma#, H. Xu#, DNA-Compatible Chemistry for DNA-Encoded Libraries and Beyond, Trends Chem. 2025, 7, 771-786.
5. H. Li*, Y. Liu*, S. Zhang*, L. Ma, Z. Zeng, Z. Zhou, V. Gandon, H. Xu#, W. Yi#, S. Wang#, Access to N-α-deuterated amino acids and DNA conjugates via Ca(II)-HFIP-mediated reductive deutero-amination of α-oxo-carbonyl compounds, Nat. Commun. 2025, 16, 1816.
6. W. Hou*,#, Y. Zhang*, F. Huang*, W. Chen*, Y. Gu, Y. Wang, J. Pang, H. Dong, K. Pan, S. Zhang, P. Ma, H. Xu#, Bioinspired Selenium‐Nitrogen Exchange (SeNEx) Click Chemistry Suitable for Nanomole‐Scale Medicinal Chemistry and Bioconjugation, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2024, 63, e202318534.
7. P. Ma*, S. Zhang*, Q. Huang, Y. Gu, Z. Zhou, W. Hou#, W. Yi#, H. Xu#, Evolution of chemistry and selection technology for DNA-encoded library, Acta Pharm. Sin. B. 2024, 14, 492–516.
8. S. Zhang*, H. Zhang*, X. Liu*, P. Qi, T. Tan, S. Wang, H. Gao, H. Xu#, Z. Zhou#, W. Yi#, Mask and Release Strategy‐Enabled Diversity‐Oriented Synthesis for DNA‐Encoded Library, Adv. Sci. 2024, 11, 2307049.
9. Z. Zhou*, Y. Gu*, L. Wu*, Y. Wang*, H. Xu, L. Ma, Z. Zhang, J. Zhao, W. Zhang, W. Peng, G. Yang, X. Yu, H. Xu#, W. Yi#, Organo-Se BTSAs-enabled performance: From racemic and asymmetric synthesis to click chemistry application, Chem. 2023, 9, 3335–3346.
10. H. Xu*,#, Y. Wang*, H. Dong, Y. Zhang, Y. Gu, S. Zhang, Y. Meng, J. Li, X. Shi, Q. Ji, L. Liu, P. Ma, F. Ma#, G. Yang#, W. Hou#, Selenylation Chemistry Suitable for on‐Plate Parallel and On‐DNA Library Synthesis Enabling High‐Throughput Medicinal Chemistry, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022, 61, e202206516.
11. H. Xu*,#, T. Tan*, Y. Zhang, Y. Wang, K. Pan, Y. Yao, S. Zhang, Y. Gu, W. Chen, J. Li, H. Dong, Y. Meng, P. Ma#, W. Hou#, G. Yang#, Metal-Free and Open-Air Arylation Reactions of Diaryliodonium Salts for DNA-Encoded Library Synthesis, Adv. Sci. 2022, 9, 2202790.
12. S. Wang*, X. Shi*, J. Li*, Q. Huang, Q. Ji, Y. Yao, T. Wang, L. Liu, M. Ye, Y. Deng, P. Ma#, H. Xu#, G. Yang#, A Small Molecule Selected from a DNA‐Encoded Library of Natural Products That Binds to TNF‐α and Attenuates Inflammation In Vivo, Adv. Sci. 2022, 9, 2201258.
13. F. Ma, J. Li, S. Zhang, Y. Gu, T. Tan, W. Chen, S. Wang, H. Xu#, G. Yang#, R.A. Lerner#, Metal-Catalyzed One-Pot On-DNA Syntheses of Diarylmethane and Thioether Derivatives, ACS Catal. 2022, 12, 1639–1649.
14. W. Hou#, H. Xu#, Incorporating Selenium into Heterocycles and Natural Products─From Chemical Properties to Pharmacological Activities, J. Med. Chem. 2022, 65, 4436–4456.
15. W. Hou#, H. Dong, X. Zhang#, Y. Wang, L. Su, H. Xu#, Selenium as an Emerging Versatile Player in Heterocycles and Natural Products Modification, Drug Discov. Today, 2022, 27, 2268-2277.
16. H. Gao*, S. Lin*, S. Zhang*, W. Chen, X. Liu, G. Yang, R.A. Lerner, H. Xu#, Z. Zhou#, W. Yi#, gem‐Difluoromethylene Alkyne‐Enabled Diverse C−H Functionalization and Application to the on‐DNA Synthesis of Difluorinated Isocoumarins, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021, 60, 1959–1966.
17. Q. Zheng*, H. Xu*, H. Wang, W.H. Du, N. Wang, H. Xiong, Y. Gu, L. Noodleman, K.B. Sharpless#, G. Yang#, P. Wu#, Sulfur [18F]Fluoride Exchange Click Chemistry Enabled Ultrafast Late-Stage Radiosynthesis, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 3753–3763.
18. H. Xu*, Y. Gu*, S. Zhang, H. Xiong, F. Ma, F. Lu, Q. Ji, L. Liu, P. Ma, W. Hou#, G. Yang#, R.A. Lerner#, A Chemistry for Incorporation of Selenium into DNA‐Encoded Libraries, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59, 13273–13280.
19. H. Xu*, F. Ma*, N. Wang, W. Hou, H. Xiong, F. Lu, J. Li, S. Wang, P. Ma, G. Yang#, R.A. Lerner#, DNA‐Encoded Libraries: Aryl Fluorosulfonates as Versatile Electrophiles Enabling Facile On‐DNA Suzuki, Sonogashira, and Buchwald Reactions, Adv. Sci. 2019, 6, 1901551.
20. P. Ma*, H. Xu*, J. Li*, F. Lu, F. Ma, S. Wang, H. Xiong, W. Wang, D. Buratto, F. Zonta, N. Wang, K. Liu, T. Hua, Z. Liu, G. Yang#, R.A. Lerner#, Functionality independent DNA encoding of complex natural products, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2019, 58, 9254-9261.
