Google Scholar, ResearchGate Profile

(+ denotes co-first authors, and * denotes corresponding authors)

2025

• Y. Bao+, Z. Xu+, K. Cheng*, X. Li, F. Chen, D. Yuan, F. Zhang, A. R.-Y. Che, X. Zeng, Y.-D. Zhao, J. Xia*, "Staudinger Reaction-Responsive Coacervates for Cytosolic Antibody Delivery and TRIM21-Mediated Protein Degradation", J. Am. Chem. Soc., 147, 4, 3830–3839, 2025. 

• Z. Li, W. Tan, G.-P. Zhao, X. Zeng*, W. Zhao*, "Recent advances in the synthesis and application of biomolecular condensates", J. Biol. Chem., 301 (2), 108188, 2025.  

2024

• F. Chen, Y. Han, X. Li, W. Guo, C. Wu, J. Xia, X. Zeng*, H. C. Shum*, "Sidechain Chemistry-encoded solid/liquid phase transitions of condensates", bioRxiv, 2024. 

• H. Chen, Y. Bao, X. Li, F. Chen, R. Sugimura, X. Zeng, J. Xia*, "Cell Surface Engineering by Phase-Separated Coacervates for Antibody Display and Targeted Cancer Cell Therapy", Angew. Chem., e202410566, 2024. 

• X. Zeng*, R. V. Pappu*, "Backbone-mediated weakening of pairwise interactions enables percolation in mimics of protein condensates", bioRxiv, 2024. 

2023

• G. M. Wadsworth+, W. J. Zahurancik+, X. Zeng+(co-first author), P. Pullara, L. B. Lai, V. Sidharthan, R. V. Pappu*, V. Gopalan*, P. R. Banerjee*, "RNAs undergo phase transitions with lower critical solution temperatures", Nature Chemistry, 2023, 15, 1693–1704. 

• X. Zeng and R. V. Pappu*. Developments in describing equilibrium phase transitions of multivalent associative macromolecules, Current Opinion in Structural Biology, 2023, 79: 102540

• Y. Dai, M. Farag, D. Lee, X. Zeng, K. Kim, H.-I. Son, X. Guo, M. Ney, D. M. Shapiro, R. V. Pappu, A. Chilkoti*, L. You*, “Programmable synthetic biomolecular condensates for cellular control”, Nat. Chem. Biol., 2023, 1-11. 

Publications before 2023

• X. Zeng, K. M. Ruff, R. V. Pappu*, "Competing interactions give rise to two-state behavior and switch-like transitions in charge-rich intrinsically disordered proteins", Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 119(19)e2200559119 (2022). Recommended in Faculty Opinions. 

• M. J. Fossat+, X. Zeng+   (+co-first author), R. V. Pappu*, "Uncovering Differences in Hydration Free Energies for Model Compound Mimics of Charged Sidechains of Amino Acids", J. Phys. Chem. B, 2021, 125, 16, 4148–4161. 

• X. Zeng, C. Liu, M. J. Fossat, P. Ren, A. Chilkoti, R. V. Pappu*, "Design of intrinsically disordered proteins that undergo phase transitions with lower critical solution temperatures", APL Material, 9, 021119 (2021).

• X. Zeng, A. S. Holehouse, A. Chiltoki, T. Mittag, R. V. Pappu*, "Connecting Coil-to-Globule Transitions to Full Phase Diagrams for Intrinsically Disordered Proteins", Biophys. J., 2020, 119 (2), 402-418. 

• X. Zheng*+, X. Zeng+  (+co-first author), Z. Li,  "Multiscale simulation and kinetic network model analysis of the self-assembly of amphiphilic systems"  (in Chinese), Scientia Sinica Chimica, 2020, 50.  

• L. Wang, J. Zheng, X. Zeng, P. P.-H. Cheung, X. Zheng, L. Xie, X. Shi, R. Li*, X. Huang*, Y. Wang*,  “Mechanistic Insights and Rational Design of a Versatile Surface with Cells/Bacteria Recognition Capability via Orientated Fusion Peptides”, Adv. Sci. 6(9), 1801827 (2019)

• X. Zeng, Z.-W. Li*, X. Zheng, L. Zhu, Z.-Y. Sun, Z.-Y. Lu, X. Huang*, “Improving the Productivity of Monodisperse Polyhedral Cages by Rational Design of Kinetic Self-assembly Pathways”,  Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2018, 20, 10030-10037.

• A. Tyagi, X. Liu, I. H. Abidi, Z. Gao, B. M. Park, X Zeng, X. Ou, A. A. Cagang, M. Zhuang, M. D. Hossain, K. Zhang, L.-T. Weng*, F. Sun*, Z. Luo*, “Modular functionalization of crystalline graphene by recombinant proteins: a nanoplatform for probing biomolecules”, Nanoscale, 10(47):22572-82 (2018)

• X. Zeng, L. Zhu, X. Zheng, M. Cecchini*, X. Huang*, "Harnessing Complexity in Molecular Self-Assembly by Computer Simulations", Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2018, 20, 6767-6776, (perspective).

• Y. Tian+, X. Zeng+   (+co-first author), J. Li+, Y. Jiang, H. Zhao, D. Wang, X. Huang*, Z. Li*, "Achieving Enhanced Cell Penetration of Short Conformationally Constrained Peptides through Amphiphilicity Tuning", Chem. Sci., 2017, 8, 7576-7581.

• L. Meng, F. K. Sheong,  X. Zeng, L. Zhu, X. Huang*, “Path lumping: An efficient algorithm to identify metastable path channels for conformational dynamics of multi-body systems”, J. Chem. Phys.,147(4):044112 (2017)

• X. Zheng, L. Zhu, X. Zeng, L. Meng, L. Zhang, D. Wang, X. Huang*, “Kinetics-Controlled Amphiphile Self-Assembly Processes”, J. Phys. Chem. Lett.,8(8):1798-803 (2017)

• X. Zeng, B. Li, Q. Qiao, L. Zhu, Z.-Y. Lu*, X. Huang*, "Elucidating Dominant Pathways of the Nano-particle Self-Assembly Process", Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2016, 18, 23494-23499 (featured in cover)

• J. Zheng, L. Wang, X. Zeng, X. Zheng, Y. Zhang, S. Liu, X. Shi, Y. Wang, X. Huang*, L. Ren*, “Controlling the integration of polyvinylpyrrolidone onto substrate by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation to achieve excellent protein resistance and detoxification”, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 8(29):18684-92 (2016)

• L. Zhu, F. K. Sheong, X. Zeng, X. Huang*, “Elucidation of the conformational dynamics of multi-body systems by construction of Markov state models”, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 18(44):30228-35 (2016) (featured in cover)

• Y. Tian, J. Li, H. Zhao, X Zeng, D. Wang, Q. Liu, X. Niu, X. Huang, N. Xu*, Z. Li*, “Stapling of unprotected helical peptides via photo-induced intramolecular thiol-yne hydrothiolation”, Chem. Sci., 7(5):3325-30 (2016)