Xiaoxiao Liu, Ph.D., focuses on the interplay between bacteria and bacteriophages, with a particular emphasis on the regulatory mechanisms of bacterial biofilms and prophage activation. Her research addresses critical challenges in combating antibiotic-resistant infections, where biofilms serve as physical barriers that protect bacterial communities and facilitate horizontal gene transfer. Xiaoxiao Liu has systematically elucidated the signaling pathways linking environmental cues, such as low-temperature stress, to host H-NS proteins, resulting in precise prophage activation. This work has advanced the understanding of how prophages influence population-level bacterial adaptation and biofilm dynamics. She has further explored the coupling between prophage activation and biofilm formation, revealing how bacterial populations deploy sophisticated defense strategies to resist phage infection. Xiaoxiao Liu’s research also identifies strategies for enhancing the efficacy of phage therapy, demonstrating how bacterial responses to nutrient limitations, particularly nitrogen starvation, regulate key metabolic targets such as GlnA to control biofilm dispersal. Her work offers novel approaches for disrupting biofilms using targeted metabolites, including arginine, to improve phage penetration and antibacterial outcomes. Current investigations expand on the mechanisms by which bacteria employ defense systems derived from prophages to selectively neutralize diverse phages, providing insights essential for the rational design of engineered phages. By integrating molecular microbiology, biofilm physiology, and phage biology, Xiaoxiao Liu’s research contributes foundational knowledge to the development of innovative antibacterial therapies, emphasizing both fundamental and translational aspects of microbial ecology, phage-bacteria interactions, and biofilm modulation. Her studies have implications for designing more effective phage-based treatments against persistent bacterial infections and enhancing the understanding of microbial population dynamics under environmental stress. 2,901 Citations, 26 Documents, 18 h-index.