Education Background 08/2013 - present, Georgia Institute of Technology, Graduate Research Assistant 09/2009 – 06/2013, Wuhan University, B.S. in Biology
Research Experience 08/2011 - 06/2013 Undergraduate research assistant, Jian Huang Lab, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, China Project leader for National Innovative Experimental Project for Undergraduate Students Project Topic: The Screening for Selective Activation Agent of ERβ among New Synthetic Drugs
Applied the yeast report gene detection system so that ERα and ERβ can mediate Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators’ (SERMs’) function.
Finished the clone of LBD (ligand binding domain) of ERα and ERβ.
Completed a stable dual-fluorescent report system in HEK293 for determination the binding affinity.
08/2013 - present Graduate Research Assistant, Patrick McGrath Lab, School of Biology, Georgia Tech Project Topic: A laboratory adaptation of the nucleosome remodeling factor nurf-1 in C.elegans regulate epigenetic changes in the nervous system
Used co-conversion CRISPR to construct allelic replacement line and validated nurf-1 is the major QTL for egg laying rate.
Developed isoform specific stop codon replacement lines to distinguish isoform specific functions.
Verified varied sperm number account for fecundity difference.
Project Topic: A serpentine receptor srg-47 interacts with nurf-1 to cope with two laboratory distinct environments
Constructed NIAR(Near Isogenic - Allelic Replacement) Lines to further locate responsible QTL.
Academic Meetings 06/2015, A laboratory adaptation in the nucleosome remodeling factor nurf-1 in C.elegans regulating epigenetic changes in the nervous system. W. Xu, E.E. Large, P.T. McGrath. 20th C.elegans International Meeting 04/2016 Selection on a subunit of the NURF chromatin remodeler modifies life history traits in C. elegans.W.Xu, E.E. Large, P.T. McGrath. Junior Scientist Workshop on Genetic and Neurobiological Basis for Evolution of Behavior at Janelia Research Campus 06/2017 CRISPR/Cas9-based dissection of a genetically complex, pleiotropic chromatin-remodeling gene under selection in laboratory growth conditions. W. Xu, P.T. McGrath. 21th C.elegans International Meeting
Publication Large EE, Padmanabhan R, Watkins KL, Campbell RF, Xu W, et al. (2017) Modeling of a negative feedback mechanism explains antagonistic pleiotropy in reproduction in domesticated Caenorhabditis elegans strains. PLOS Genetics 13(5): e1006769. Large EE, Xu W, Zhao Y, Brady SC, Long L, et al. (2016) Selection on a Subunit of the NURF Chromatin Remodeler Modifies Life History Traits in a Domesticated Strain of Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Genet 12(7): e1006219. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006219 Zhang, X., Zuo, Z., Tang, J., Wang, K., Wang, C., Chen, W., Li, C., Xu, W., Xiong, X., Yuntai, K. and Huang, J., 2013. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel estrogen-derived steroid metal complexes. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters, 23(13), pp.3793-3797.