Dr. Xiao Xiao, a native of Changde, Hunan, serves as a Lecturer and Master's Supervisor. She received her PhD in Environmental Science and Engineering from the Harbin Institute of Technology in 2023. Supported by the China Scholarship Council (CSC), she also completed a joint doctoral program at Lund University in Sweden, where she engaged in extensive international research collaboration. Her research primarily focuses on the synergistic integration of membrane bioreactors and aerobic granular sludge technologies in wastewater treatment, the exploration of membrane fouling mechanisms and control strategies, and the study of quorum sensing-mediated microbial regulation.

As a Principal Investigator, Dr. Xiao leads three major research initiatives, including a project funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) for Young Scientists, a program under the Jinhua Science and Technology Bureau, and the Young Doctors' Special Research Fund of Zhejiang Normal University. She has also served as a key contributor to three additional NSFC projects and one National Key R&D Program of China. To date, Dr. Xiao has published over ten papers in prominent international journals within the field of environmental engineering. Her portfolio includes eight publications as first or corresponding author in prestigious journals such as Water Research and the Journal of Membrane Science, along with one authorized patent. She is actively seeking motivated students who are interested in the development of environmental biotechnology and emerging theories in wastewater treatment to join her research group. 

Scientific research projects：

1. National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.52400062), Jan.2025-Dec.2027. (PI)

2. Jinhua Science and Technology Bureau Project: Mechanism of sludge granulation mediated by endogenous signaling molecules in MBR systems and its performance in municipal wastewater treatment, 2025.01–2027.12.

3. Zhejiang Normal University Young Doctors' Special Research Fund: 2024.01–2025.12.

4. National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.52070054), “Interface process mechanisms in the AGS system induced by mycelial pellets and control strategies for biological enhancement of nitrogen removal”, Jan.2021-Dec.2024. (Co-PI)

5. National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.51878237), “The mechanism of mycelial pellets in promoting the formation of granular sludge and its stability regulation strategy”, Jan.2019-Dec.2022. (Co-PI)

6. Sub project of the National Key R&D Program (2018YFF0213201-02), "Research on the Technical Requirements for Advanced Oxidation Fenton in Typical Industry Wastewater Treatment and the Evaluation Standards for the Operation Effect of Urban Wastewater MBR Treatment Process", Jul. 2018-Jun. 2021. (Co-PI) 

Papers:

1. Faqian Sun, Junjie Zhu, Tianqi Song, Changhao Zheng, Xiaomei Su, Feng Dong, Liang Xu, Hailu Fu, Chongjun Chen, Xiao Xiao*. Membrane biofouling control in response to quorum quenching via microbiota acclimatization for industrial phenolic wastewater treatment, Journal of Membrane Science, 2026, 752, 125606. 

2.  Xiao Xiao, Yuanmeng Tang, Jie Han, Yibin Bao, Xiaomei Su, Feng Dong, Liang Xu, Chongjun Chen, Hailu Fu, Faqian Sun*. Enhancing operational stability and pollutants removal in dynamic membrane bioreactors via granular activated carbon for landfill leachate treatment, Journal of Membrane Science, 2025, 736, 124726. 

3. Xiao Xiao*, Mariona Battestini Vives, Frank Lipnizki, Gregor Rudolph-Schöpping. Evaluation of the adsorptive behaviour of kraft black liquor on nanofiltration model membrane surfaces via quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). Journal of Membrane Science, 2025, 725, 124043. 

4. Rui Wang, Junjie Zhu, Yibin Bao, Xiaomei Su, Xiao Xiao*, Feng Dong, Chongjun Chen, Hailu Fu, Canhui Song, Faqian Sun*. Application of quorum quenching bacteria for biofouling control in membrane bioreactors treating landfill leachate. Separation and Purification Technology, 2025, 361, 131307. 
   

5. Xiao Xiao, Haijuan Guo*, Fang Ma*. Effects of granule disintegration and sludge re-aggregation on fouling behaviors and bio-cake formation in aerobic granular sludge membrane bioreactor (AGMBR). Journal of Membrane Science, 2024, 695, 122477.

6. Xiao Xiao, Haijuan Guo*, Fang Ma*, Jinna Zhang, Xiping Ma, Shijie You. New insights into mycelial pellets for aerobic sludge granulation in membrane bioreactor: Bio-functional interactions among metazoans, microbial communities and protein expression. Water Research, 2023, 228, 119361. 

7. Xiao Xiao, Fang Ma, Shijie You, Haijuan Guo*, Jinna Zhang, Xiaotong Bao, Xiping Ma. Direct sludge granulation by applying mycelial pellets in continuous-flow aerobic membrane bioreactor: Performance, granulation process and mechanism. Bioresource Technology, 2022, 344, 126233.

8. Xiao Xiao, Shijie You, Haijuan Guo*, Fang Ma*, Jinna Zhang, Ruiyao Zhang, Xiaotong Bao. Mycelial pellets for alleviation of membrane fouling in membrane bioreactor. Journal of Membrane Science, 2021, 635, 119545.

9. Xiao Xiao, Haijuan Guo*, Fang Ma, Shijie You, Mingyue Geng, Xiangzhen Kong. Biological mechanism of alleviating membrane biofouling by porous spherical carriers in a submerged membrane bioreactor. Science of the Total Environment, 2021, 792, 148448.

10. Mariona Battestini-Vives*, Xiao Xiao, Frank Lipnizki, Gregor Rudolph-Sch¨opping. Response surface methodology to optimize membrane cleaning in nanofiltration of kraft black liquor. Separation and Purification Technology, 2025, 354, 128626.

11. Mingyue Geng, Shijie You, Haijuan Guo*, Fang Ma*, Xiao Xiao, Jinna Zhang. Impact of fungal pellets dosage on long-term stability of aerobic granular sludge. Bioresource Technology, 2021, 332, 125106.

12. Mingyue Geng, Shijie You, Haijuan Guo, Fang Ma, Xiao Xiao, Jinna Zhang, Xiping Ma. Response of aerobic granular sludge to loading shock: performance and proteomic study. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2022, 444,  136458.

13. Mingyue Geng, Shijie You, Haijuan Guo*, Fang Ma*, Xiao Xiao, Jinna Zhang, Xiping Ma. Co-existence of Flocs and Granules in Aerobic Granular Sludge System: Performance, Microbial Community and Proteomics. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2023, 451, 139011.

14. Xiao Xiao, Duo Yu, Haijuan Guo, Fang Ma, Yun Na, Impact of N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) signal molecules on membrane biofouling. China Water & Waste Water, 2019,35(09):1-8. 

Patent:  

1. Haijuan Guo, Fang Ma, Xiao Xiao. A membrane bioreactor and a method for alleviation of membrane fouling in membrane bioreactor. China, patent number: ZL 202110682901.3. 2023-01-10.