主要从事酶工程与生物催化制造研究，聚焦于利用合成生物学技术手段，开展新型生物酶元件的挖掘与创制、生物合成体系的构建、以及重要蛋白作用机制解析。面向医药、健康、食品等领域，着力开发高值化学品绿色生物制造新技术，并推动其产业化应用。获2022年“青岛市女职工建功立业标兵岗”。相关技术成果已实现千万级专利技术转让和吨级产品市场销售，入选2024 “青岛好成果” Top10。
详细介绍：
主持承担国家自然科学基金面上项目，山东省重点研发计划重大科技创新工程项目课题，山东省自然科学基金面上项目，院所创新基金项目，青岛市产业培育引领专项课题，以及国际企业（法国道达尔集团）、国内企业（青岛中科蓝智、天津斯芬克司、山东齐都药业、浙江博崤生物等）技术开发与合作等项目10余项。
Yajing Liang, Weihe Liu, Chen Cheng, Xiang Liu, Zhongqi Liu, Huaizhi Wu, Huifang Xu*, Xuefeng Lu*. High-Yield production and Kilogram-Scale preparation of 2-O-α-d-Glyceroglycoside through Whole-Cell catalysis using a novel sucrose phosphorylase. Bioresource Technology. 2026. 443: 133832
Dandan Feng#, Tianshu Zhang#, Guan Zhou, Yanli Cao, Quan Luo*, Huifang Xu*, Xuefeng Lu. Efficient whole-cell biocatalytic synthesis of 2′-deoxy-2′-fluoroadenosine, a key building block for nucleic acid drugs.Synthetic and Systems Biotechnology. 2026. 12: 152-159.
Yanli Cao, Guan Zhou, Wei Zhang, Yangjun Xu, Huifang Xu*, Quan Luo*, Xuefeng Lu. Efficient bioproduction of 3-(4-thiazolyl)-l-alanine, an unnatural amino acid of pharmaceutical importance, by an enzymatic relay process. Green Synthesis and Catalysis. 2025.
Quan Luo#, Guan Zhou#, Zhongxia Li, Jiangpeng Dong, Hang Zhao, Huifang Xu*, Xuefeng Lu*. ω-transaminase-catalyzed synthesis of (R)-2-(1-aminoethyl)-4-fluorophenol, a chiral intermediate of novel anti-tumor drugs. Enzyme and Microbial Technology. 2024, 175: 110406
Fanhui Kong, Jie Chen, Xiangquan Qin, Chuanfei Liu, Yiping Jiang, Li Ma, Huifang Xu*, Shengying Li*, and Zhiqi Cong*. Evolving a P450BM3 Peroxygenase for the Production of IndigoidDyes from Indoles. ChemCatChem. 2022, e202201151.
Huifang Xu, Weinan Liang, Linlin Ning, Yuanyuan Jiang, Wenxia Yang, Cong Wang, Feifei Qi, Li Ma, Lei Du, Laurent Fourage, Yongjin J. Zhou and Shengying Li*. Directed Evolution of P450 Fatty Acid Decarboxylases via High‐Throughput Screening towards Improved Catalytic Activity. ChemCatChem. 2020, 12 (1): 80-84.
Yuanyuan Jiang, Zhong Li, Shanmin Zheng, Huifang Xu, Yongjin J. Zhou, Zhengquan Gao, Chunxiao Meng*, Shengying Li*. Establishing an Enzyme Cascade for One-pot Production of α-olefins from Low-cost Triglycerides and Oils without Exogenous H2O2 Addition. Biotechnology for Biofuels. 2020.13:52.
Yuanyuan Jiang, Zhong Li, Cong Wang, Yongjin J. Zhou, Huifang Xu* and Shengying Li*. Biochemical characterization of three new α-olefin-producing P450 fatty acid decarboxylases with a halophilic property. Biotechnology for Biofuels. 2019. 12: 79.
Huifang Xu, Linlin Ning, Wenxia Yang, Bo Fang, Cong Wang, Yun Wang, Jian Xu, Laurent Fourage and Shengying Li. In vitro oxidative decarboxylation of free fatty acids to terminal alkenes by two new P450 peroxygenases. Biotechnology for Biofuels. 2017. 10: 208.
Bo Fang#, Huifang Xu#, Yi Liu, Fengxia Qi, Wei Zhang, Cong Wang, Yilin Wang, Wenxia Yang, Shengying Li*. Mutagenesis and redox partners analysis of the P450 fatty acid decarboxylase OleTJE, Scientific Reports. 2017, 7: 44258
Bo An#, V Abbonante#, Huifang Xu, Despoina Gavriilidou, Ayumi Yoshizumi, Dominique Bihan, Richard W Farndale, David L Kaplan, Alessandra Balduini, Birgit Leitinger*, Barbara Brodsky *. Recombinant Collagen Engineered to Bind to Discoidin Domain Receptors Functions as a Receptor Inhibitor. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2016, 291 (9): 4343-4355.
Huifang Xu, Takemoto Abe, Justin KH Liu, Irina Zalivina, Erhard Hohenester, Birgit Leitinger. Normal activation of DDR1 mutants with disulphide cross-links, insertions or deletions in the extracellular juxtamembrane region: mechanistic implications. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2014, 289:13565-13574.
Huifang Xu, Dominique Bihan, Francis Chang, Paul H Huang, Richard W Farndale, Birgit Leitinger. Discoidin domain receptors promote α1β1- and α2β1-integrin mediated cell adhesion to collagen by enhancing integrin activation. PLoS One. 2012, 7 (12): e52209.
Huifang Xu, Nicholas Raynal, Stavros Stathopoulos, Johanna Myllyharju, Richard W Farndale, Birgit Leitinger. Collagen binding specificity of the discoidin domain receptors: binding sites on collagens II and III and molecular determinants for collagen IV recognition by DDR1. Matrix Biology. 2011, 30: 16 – 26.
Bassam R Ali#, Huifang Xu#, Nadia A Akawi, Anne John, Noushad S Karuvantevida, Ruth Langer, Lihadh Al-Gazali, Birgit Leitinger. Trafficking defects and loss of ligand binding are the underlying causes of all reported DDR2 missense mutations found in SMED-SL patients. Human Molecular Genetics. 2010, 19: 2239-2250
Huifang Xu, Xian-En Zhang*, Zhi-Ping Zhang, Yong-Mei Zhang, Anthony EG Cass, Directed Evolution of E.coli Alkaline Phosphatase Towards Higher Catalytic Activity. Biocatalysis and Biotransformation. 2003, 21: 41-47.
