Match tier Confirmed
Presence Current · Arkansas
Last published 2025
Sources OpenAlex · ORCID
Refreshed 2026-10-09
Jianfeng Xu profile photo

Jianfeng Xu

Affiliation confirmed via AI analysis of OpenAlex, ORCID, and web sources.

◆ ARA Academy Federal Grant PI High Impact

Professor

Also affiliated: Hebei Agricultural University (2005–2025); Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (2005–2013); Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University (2008–2013); Endeavor Health (2016–2020); Harvard University (2005–2013); Nanjing Normal University (2005); Harbin Medical University (2008); Xiamen University (2014–2015); Chinese Academy of Sciences (1998); Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College (2025); Huazhong Agricultural University (2024); Cornell University (2009); Fudan University (2008–2016); Dalian University of Technology (1998); Wenzhou Medical University (2020); Massachusetts General Hospital (2013); Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University (2020); Ohio University (2000–2011); Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University (2014); Zhongshan Hospital (2008–2015); Institute of Process Engineering (1998); Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2025); Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University (2025); Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (2019); Arkansas Biosciences Institute (2008–2025); Lilly (China) (2015–2019); Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences (2021); Huashan Hospital (2016); State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering (2008–2016); Shanghai Ocean University (2018–2025); University of Bath (2019); China Jiliang University (2015); Liverpool John Moores University (2019)

35 h-index 127 pubs 4,660 cited

  • Humans
  • Colorectal Neoplasms
  • Male
  • Female
  • Middle Aged
  • Liver Neoplasms
  • Aged
  • Prognosis
  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Hepatectomy
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Nicotiana
  • Recombinant Proteins

Biography and Research Information

OverviewAI-generated summary

Jianfeng Xu's research focuses on plant bioengineering and its applications in medicine and biotechnology. He has received federal funding for projects related to engineering plant cells to produce recombinant proteins for therapeutic use. One grant, totaling $395,242 from the NIH/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, supports his work on engineering novel designer biologics in plant cells for the oral treatment of ulcerative colitis. Another NSF-funded project, for which he is PI, received $394,063 to engineer GPI-anchored proteins in plant cells for enhanced protein production and applications.

His scholarly work includes publications on diverse topics such as the development of cell-free protein-producing gels, high-yield production of pharmaceutical proteins using plant cell suspension cultures, and the use of genetically transformed roots as biotechnological resources. He has also investigated the conversion of plant biomass to ethanol and explored the therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cell-based gene therapy for acute lung injury in mice. Xu is a member of the ARA Academy and has been recognized as a highly cited researcher.

Xu's research network includes collaborators at Arkansas State University, such as Paula Perez Sanchez, Shekoofeh Sadravi, and Jacqueline Vargas Ulloa, with whom he has co-authored multiple publications. His academic contributions are reflected in his h-index of 36 and over 4,800 citations across 135 publications.

Metrics

  • h-index: 35
  • Publications: 127
  • Citations: 4,660

Positions

  • Professor 2020–present
    Arkansas State University Arkansas Biosciences Institute ORCID
  • Associate Professor 2013–2020
    Arkansas State University Arkansas Biosciences Institute ORCID
  • Assistant Professor 2008–2013
    Arkansas State University Arkansas Biosciences Institute ORCID

Selected Publications

  • Advances in promoter engineering strategies for enhanced recombinant protein expression in plants (2026)
    Frontiers in Plant Science 8 citations DOI OpenAlex
  • Morphology and bioproduction potential of DCB-induced cell wall-deficient tobacco BY-2 cells and transcriptomic analysis (2025)
  • Unlocking the full potential of plant cell-based production for valuable proteins: Challenges and innovative strategies (2025)
    Biotechnology Advances 8 citations DOI OpenAlex
  • Acidothermus cellulolyticus E1 endoglucanase expressed in planta undergoes extensive hydroxyproline-O-glycosylation and exhibits enhanced impact on biomass digestibility (2024)
    Plant Cell Reports 4 citations DOI OpenAlex
  • Abstract 2377 Thermophilic E1 endoglucanase from Acidothermus cellulolyticus undergoes extensive hydroxyproline-O-glycosylation when expressed in planta (2024)
  • Harnessing the Power of Plants: A Green Factory for Bioactive Compounds (2023)
    Life 4 citations DOI OpenAlex
  • Intracellular trafficking and glycosylation of hydroxyproline-O-glycosylation module in tobacco BY-2 cells is dependent on medium composition and transcriptome analysis (2023)
    Scientific Reports 4 citations DOI OpenAlex
  • Arabinogalactan Structures of Repetitive Serine-Hydroxyproline Glycomodule Expressed by Arabidopsis Cell Suspension Cultures (2023)
    Plants 5 citations DOI OpenAlex
  • Plants as Biofactories for Therapeutic Proteins and Antiviral Compounds to Combat COVID-19 (2023)
    Life 23 citations DOI OpenAlex
  • CAP1 (cyclase-associated protein 1) mediates the cyclic AMP signals that activate Rap1 in stimulating matrix adhesion of colon cancer cells (2023)
    Cellular Signalling 15 citations DOI OpenAlex

View all publications on OpenAlex →

ARA Academy 2023 ARA Fellow

Dr. Xu holds a PhD in Biochemical Engineering from Dalian University of Technology and joined A-State's faculty in 2008 after serving as Senior Research Associate at Cornell University. His research focuses on genetically engineering plants for biofuel and therapeutic benefits.

Policy Impact

Engineers plants for biofuel and therapeutic applications at Arkansas State University, creating potential new revenue streams for Arkansas agriculture and biomanufacturing.

Growth Areas

['Food Production & Integrative Health', 'Precision Agriculture']

Federal Grants 3 $1,403,716 total

NIH Contact PI Sep 2021 - Jun 2025

Engineering novel designer biologics in plant cells for oral treatment of ulcerative colitis

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases $395,242 R15
NSF PI Jul 2024 - Jun 2027

Engineering GPI-anchored Proteins in Plant Cells for Enhanced Protein Production and Applications

Systems and Synthetic Biology, Cellular & Biochem Engineering $394,063

Collaboration Network

108 Collaborators 29 Institutions 8 Countries

Top Collaborators

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