My research focuses on the paleo-climate and paleo-ecological changes in Antarctica due to its high latitude position, uncomplicated ecosystems and sensitivity to fluctuations in global climate. I am particularly interested in the historical changes of hydrological cycle and central type of metabolism in heterotrophs, and then study mechanisms controlling climate change and environmental response to climate change over the past 3,000 years.

I have a boad interests in the use of lipid biomarker and their carbon and hydrogen isotopes preserved in lake and ocean sediments in Antarctica. My understanding of organic analytical chemistry and isotope organic geochemistry have enabled me to accurately indentify the sources of lipid biomarkers in Antarctica, and decode what climate information captured in the compound-specific carbon and hydrogen isotopes. I understand such isotope signals generated in exant organisms through laboratory pure cultures and modern natural samples, and employ them to lake and ocean sediment cores. I seek to provide new reliable proxies for understanding historical climate and ecological changes in Antarctica.

1）国家自然科学基金青年基金，2023.1-2025.12，负责人（在研）
2）上海市启明星计划扬帆专项, 2022.4-2025.3 负责人（在研）
3）中国博士后科学基金面上项目（二等）负责人（在研）
4）上海市“超级博士后”激励计划，2021-2022 负责人（在研）

13. Xin Chen*, Jianjun Wang, Jing Jin, Zhangqin Zheng, Weidong Kong, Wenhan Cheng, Jifeng Zhang, Lewen Liang, Yi Yang, Steven D. Emslie, Xiaodong Liu. Microbial hydrogenation of cholesterol to coprostanol by anaerobic bacteria: evidence from Antarctic lacustrine sediment. under review.  
12. Xin Chen*, Jing Jin, Yaguang Nie, Jifeng Zhang, Liang Dong, Xianyu Huang, Steven D. Emslie, Xiaodong Liu. Carbon isotopes of n-alkanoic acids: a new organic proxy of Antarctic pond paleo-productivity. Advances in Polar Science, in press.
11. Zhou, J., Zhao, X., Chen, X., Dong, L. (2023). Comparing extraction methods for analyzing n-alkyl lipids in shelf sediments from the China Sea. Organic Geochemistry, 183, 104645.
10. Xin Chen, Weishu Zhao, Liang Dong, Huahua Jian, Lewen Liang, Jing Wang, Fengping Wang. 2023. Impact of metabolism and temperature on 2H/1H fractionation in lipids of the marine bacterium Shewanella piezotolerans WP3. Biogeosciences, 20, 1491–1504.
9. Zhangqin Zheng, Yaguang Nie, Xin Chen, Jing Jin, Qianqian Chen, Xiaodong Liu. 2022. Historical population dynamics of the Adélie penguin in response to Atmospheric-Ocean Circulation patterns at Beaufort Island, Ross Sea, Antarctica. Global and Planetary Change, in press.
8. Xin Chen, Liang Dong, Weishu Zhao, Huahua Jian, Jing Wang, Fengping Wang. 2022. The effects of metabolism and temperature on carbon isotope composition of lipids in marine bacterium Shewanella piezotolerans WP3. Chemical Geology, 606, 120963.
7. Zhangqin Zheng, Xueying Wang, Jing Jin, Jihua Hao, Yaguang Nie, Xin Chen, Jinhua Mou, Steven D. Emslie, Xiaodong, Liu. 2022. Fraction distribution and dynamic cycling of phosphorus in lacustrine sediment at Inexpressible Island, Antarctica. Environment International, 107228.
6. Jing Jin, Xin Chen, Liqiang Xu, Yaguang Nie, Xueying Wang, Huihui Huang, Steven D. Emslie, Xiaodong Liu*. 2021. Chronology and paleoclimatic implications of lacustrine sediments at Inexpressible Island, Ross Sea, Antarctica. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology，110497.
5. Xin Chen, Xiaodong Liu*, Hongzeng Jia, Jing Jin, Weidong Kong, Yongsong Huang*. 2021. Inverse hydrogen isotope fractionation indicates heterotrophic microbial production of long- chain n- alkyl lipids in desolate Antarctic ponds. Geobiology.  2021;00:1–11.
4. Xin Chen*, Xiaodong Liu, Da-Cheng Lin, Jianjun Wang, Liqi Chen, Pai-Sen Yu, Linmiao Wang, Zhifang Xiong, Min-Te Chen*. 2021. A potential suite of climate markers of long-chain n-alkanes and alkenones preserved in the top sediments from the Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean. Progress in Earth and Planetary Science, 8, 23.
3. Chen Xin, Wei Yangyang, Nie Yaguang, Wang Jianjun, Steven D. Emslie, Liu Xiaodong*. 2020. Carbon isotopes of n-alkanoic acids in Antarctic ornithogenic sediments as indicators of sedimentary lipid sources and paleocological change, Science of the Total Environment,  709, 135926.
2. Xin Chen, Xiaodong Liu*, Yangyang Wei, Yongsong Huang*. 2019. Production of long-chain n-alkyl lipids by heterotrophic microbes: New evidence from Antarctic lakes, Organic Geochemistry, 138, 103909.
1. Wei Yangyang, Jin Jing, Nie Yaguang, Chen Xin, Wu Libin, Fu Pingqing, Liu Xiaodong*，Steven D. Emslie. 2016.  Sources of organic matter and paleo-environmental implications inferred from carbon isotope compositions of lacustrine sediments at Inexpressible Island, Ross Sea, Antarctica., Advances in Polar Science, 27(4)：233-244.