在全球气候变化及污染加剧等环境问题大背景下，围绕真核、原核微生物特别是纤毛虫原生动物的多样性与格局动态开展种群、群落、食物网的生态系统研究。研究生境涉及温带近海内湾到远洋极地，研究领域涉及自然生态学、实验生态学并涉猎生物防控应用研究。

主要研究内容包括： 

（1）聚焦南北两极纤毛虫原生动物类群，研究其物种多样性、群落结构和构建机制、生态学功能与地位、时空与地理分布；

（2）在全球不同生境及各种环境问题下，通过原位考察及室内微宇宙培养实验，探讨真核、原核微生物的物种多样性及演替规律、群落构建机制与稳态、共现网络特征，微食物网结构与功能；

（3）以尾丝虫、游仆虫、草履虫等为模式材料，阐明其在新污染物特别是微塑料等微纳米污染影响下的毒理响应模式，解析其相关基因及分子机制；

（4）以细菌、微藻、纤毛虫、轮虫、桡足类、鱼类等为研究对象，探讨污染物随食物链的放大效应及在细胞/基因水平上的影响和调控机制；

（5）针对养殖水体常见的富营养化、抗生素滥用、病原生物爆发等问题，开展养殖水体生态监测及病害微生物的生物防控研究。

崂山实验室科技创新项目：海洋微型生物功能群落网络互作模式（2022–2026）

国家自然科学基金面上项目：海洋纤毛虫群落在塑料际中的群集过程和功能作用及其对环境变化的响应规律（2025–2028）

国家自然科学基金面上项目：北极东北航道边缘海浮游纤毛虫多样性、群落构建机制和共现网络的空间分布格局（2023–2026）

国家自然科学基金面上项目：南极沿岸流浮游纤毛虫原生动物群落的空间分布格局和异质性（2017–2020）

国家自然科学基金青年项目：胶州湾河口湿地盾纤亚纲纤毛虫的多样性研究与档案资料建立（2022–2024）

国家自然科学基金青年项目：基于分类多样性参数探讨微型真核浮游生物群落多样性对海洋近岸水体环境变化的响应（2016–2018）

国家重点研发计划“全球变化及应对”重点专项：海洋环境变化关键参数观测数据处理方法和产品研制（2017–2022）

山东省自然科学基金青年项目：青岛湿地环境中盾纤亚纲纤毛虫的物种-基因信息多样性研究（2022–2024）

中国博士后面上项目：微山湖湿地寡膜纲纤毛虫的形态学与系统发育学研究（2020–2021）

（*通讯作者，#共同第一作者）

1. Zhang, Y., Wang, C., Jia, R., Long, H., Zhou, J., Sun, G., Wang, Y., Zhang, Z., Rong, X.*, Jiang, Y.* (2024) Transfer from ciliate to zebrafish: Unveiling mechanisms and combined effects of microplastics and heavy metals. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 479, 135645.

2. Wang, Y., Wang, Y., Liu, M., Jia, R., Zhang, Y., Sun, G., Zhang, Z., Liu, M., Jiang, Y.* (2024) Micro-/nano-plastics as vectors of heavy metals and stress response of ciliates using transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses. Environmental Pollution, 360, 124667.

3. Liu, Z., Cao, F., Wan, J., Chen, X., Kong, B., Li, D., Zhang, X., Jiang, Y.*, Shi, X.* (2024) Stable microbial community diversity across large-scale Antarctic water masses. Science of the Total Environment, 947, 174559.

4. Cao, F., Shu, W., Liu, Q., Wan, J., Jiang Z., Liu, M.*, Jiang, Y.* (2024) Distinct structure, assembly, and gene expression of microplankton in two Arctic estuaries with varied terrestrial inputs. Environmental Research, 256, 119207.

5. Zhang, Y., Jia, R., Wang, Y., Wang, Y., Zhang, Z., Li, Z., Jiang, Y.* (2024) Physiological and transcriptomic responses of seawater halobios to micro/nano-scale polystyrene-cadmium exposure in a marine food web. Environmental Pollution, 348, 123843.

6. Sun, G., Jia, R., Zhang, Y., Zhang, Z., Wang, Y., Ma, R., Wang, Y., Jiang Z., Liu, M., Jiang, Y.* (2024) Mechanisms of the novel pesticide sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate in the mitigation of protozoan ciliated pathogens during microalgal cultivation. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 201, 116204.

7. Yang, M., Zhao, L., Yu, X., Shu, W., Cao, F., Liu, Q., Liu, M., Wang, J., Jiang, Y.* (2024) Microbial community structure and co-occurrence network stability in seawater and microplastic biofilms under prometryn pollution in marine ecosystems. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 199, 115960.

8. Jia, R., Zhang, Y., Wang, Y., Wang, Y., Sun, G., Jiang, Y.* (2024) Toxic effects on ciliates under nano-/micro-plastics coexist with silver nanoparticles. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 465, 133058.

9. Li, T.^#, Liu, M.^#, Zhang, J., Al-Rasheid, K.A., Chen, Z., Song, W., Hines, H.N., Wang, Z. (2024) Diversity in freshwater scuticociliates (Alveolata, Ciliophora, Scuticociliatia): two new species isolated from a wetland in northern China, focusing on their morphology, taxonomy, and molecular phylogeny, with establishment of a new family Glauconematidae fam. nov. Water Biology and Security, 3, 100275.

10. Li, T.^#, Zhang, T.^#, Liu, M.^#, Zhang, Z., Zhang, J., Niu, J., Chen, X., Al-Farraj, S.A., Song, W. (2024) Findings on three endocommensal scuticociliates (Protista, Ciliophora) from freshwater mollusks, including their morphology and molecular phylogeny with descriptions of two new species. Marine Life Science & Technology, 6, 212–235.

11. Liu, M., Yu, X., Yang, M., Shu, W., Cao, F., Liu, Q.*, Wang, J.*, Jiang, Y.* (2023) The co-presence of polystyrene nanoplastics and ofloxacin demonstrates combined effects on the structure, assembly, and metabolic activities of marine microbial community. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 459, 132315.

12. Liu, Q., Li, Y., Wang, H.*, Yang, G.*, Kan, J., Yang, M., Yu, X., Guo, Cui., Wang, M., Wang, W., Zhang, Q., Zhu, J., Zhao, X., Jiang, Y.* (2023) Assembly and Network Stability of Planktonic Microorganisms under the Influence of Salinity Gradient: an Arctic Case Study from the Lena River Estuary to the Laptev Sea. Microbiology Spectrum, 11 (2), e02115-22.

13. Lu, X., Yu, X., Burkovsky, I., Esaulov, A., Li, X., Jiang, Y.*, Mazei, Y. (2023) Community assembly and co-occurrence network complexity of interstitial microbial communities in the Arctic (investigation of ciliates in the White Sea intertidal zone). Marine Pollution Bulletin, 188, 114656.

14. Li, X., Liu, Q., Yu, X., Zhang, C., Liu, M., Zhou, X., Gu, C., Wang, M., Shao, H., Li, J., Jiang, Y.* (2023). Spatial pattern and co‑occurrence network of microbial community in response to extreme environment of salt lakes on the Qinghai‑Tibet Plateau. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30, 20615–20630.

15. Zhang, H., Zhao, X., Ye, T., Wu, Z., Wu, F., Chen, X.*, Liu, M.* (2023) Taxonomic and phylogenetic studies of two brackish Pleuronema species (Protista, Ciliophora, Scuticociliatia) from subtropical coastal waters of China, with report of a new species. Microorganisms, 11, 1422.

16. Wu, Z.^#, Liu, M.^#, Ye, T., Zhao, X., Wu, F., Jiang, Y., Chen, X. (2023) New contributions to the taxonomy and phylogeny of the ciliate genus Pleuronema (Ciliophora, Scuticociliatia), with descriptions of two new species collected from the subtropical coastal wetlands in China. Frontiers in Marine Science, 10, 1320684.

17. Wang, Y.^#, Liu, M.^#, Geng, X., Zhang, Y., Jia, R., Zhang, Y., Wang, X., Jiang, Y.* (2022). The combined effects of microplastics and the heavy metal cadmium on the marine periphytic ciliate Euplotes vannus. Environmental Pollution, 308, 119663.

18. Wang, J., Liu, Q., Zhang, C., Wang, Y., Yang, F., Zhao, Y., Jiang, Y.* (2022). Microplastics shift macrobenthic community structures near a coastal nuclear power plant under construction in North East China. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 437(4), 129335.

19. Yu, X., Li, X., Liu, Q., Yang, M., Wang, X., Guan, Z., Yang, J., Liu, M.*, Yang, E.J.*, Jiang, Y.* (2022). Community assembly and co-occurrence network complexity of pelagic ciliates in response to environmental heterogeneity affected by sea ice melting in the Ross Sea, Antarctica. Science of The Total Environment, 836, 155695.

20. Zhao, L., Geng, X., Zhang, Y., Hu, X., Zhang, X., Xu, H., Yang, G., Pan, K., Jiang, Y.* (2022). How do microalgae in response to biological pollution treat in cultivation? A case study investigating microalgal defense against ciliate predator Euplotes vannus. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29, 32171-32179.

21. Jiang, Y., Yang, F., Kazmi, S.S.U.H., Zhao, Y., Chen, M., Wang, J. (2022). A review of microplastic pollution in seawater, sediments and organisms of the Chinese coastal and marginal seas. Chemosphere, 286, 131677.

22. Liu, M.^#, Liu, Y.^#, Zhang, T., Lu, B., Gao, F., Gu, J., Al-Farraj, S.A., Hu, X., Song, W. (2022) Integrative studies on the taxonomy and molecular phylogeny of four new Pleuronema species (Protozoa, Ciliophora, Scuticociliatia). Marine Life Science & Technology, 4, 179–200.

23. Li, T.^#, Liu, M.^#, Warren, A., Al-Farraj, S.A., Yi, Z., Sheng, Y. (2022) Morphology and SSU rRNA gene-based phylogeny of three peniculid ciliates (Ciliophora, Oligohymenophorea) from China, including a new Frontonia species. European Journal of Protistology, 85, 125910.

24. Wang, Z.^#, Liu, M.^#, Ma, H., Lu, B., Shen, Z., Mu, C., Alfarraj, S.A., El-Serehy, H.A., Warren, A. (2022) Redescription and molecular characterization of two Trichodina species (Ciliophora, Peritrichia, Mobilida) from freshwater fish in China. Parasitology International, 86, 102470.

25. Zhao, L., Zhang, Y., Geng, X., Hu, X., Zhang, X., Xu, H., Yang, G., Pan, K., Jiang, Y.* (2021). Potential to resist biological contamination in marine microalgae culture: Effect of extracellular substances of Nannochloropsis oceanica on population growth of Euplotes vannus and other protozoa Marine Pollution Bulletin, 172, 112868.

26. Liu, Q., Zhao, Q., Jiang, Y.*, Li, Y., Zhang, C., Li, X., Yu, X., Huang, L., Wang, M., Yang, G., Chen, H., Tian, J., (2021). Diversity and co-occurrence networks of picoeukaryotes as a tool for indicating underlying environmental heterogeneity in the Western Pacific Ocean. Marine Environmental Research, 170,105376.

27. Zhang, Y., Wang, J., Geng, X., Jiang, Y.* (2021). Does microplastic ingestion dramatically decrease the biomass of protozoa grazers? A case study on the marine ciliate Uronema marinum. Chemosphere, 267, 129308.

28. Geng, X., Wang, J., Zhang, Y., Jiang, Y.* (2021). How do microplastics affect the marine microbial loop? Predation of microplastics by microzooplankton. Science of the Total Environment, 758, 144030.

29. Zhang, C., Liu, Q., Li, X., Wang, M., Liu, X., Yang, J., Xu, J., Jiang, Y.* (2021) Spatial patterns and co-occurrence networks of microbial communities related to environmental heterogeneity in deep-sea surface sediments around Yap Trench, Western Pacific Ocean. Science of the Total Environment, 759, 143799.

30. Liu, Q., Zhao, Q., McMinn, A., Yang, E.J., Jiang, Y.* (2021) Planktonic microbial eukaryotes in polar surface waters: recent advances in high-throughput sequencing Marine Life Science & Technology, 3, 94–102.

31. Li, T., Pan, X., Lu, B., Miao, M.*, Liu, M.* (2021) Taxonomy and molecular phylogeny of a new freshwater ciliate Frontonia apoacuminata sp. nov. (Protista, Ciliophora, Oligohymenophorea) from Qingdao, PR China. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 71, 005071.

32. Liu, M.^#, Wang, C.^#, Hu, X., Qu, Z., Jiang, L., Al-Farraj, S.A., El-Serehy, H.A., Warren, A., Song, W. (2021) Notes on Homalogastra similis nom. nov. (Ciliophora, Scuticociliatia), a replacement name for the junior homonym Homalogastra binucleata Liu et al., 2020. European Journal of Protistology, 81, 125841.

33. Liu, Q., Jiang, Y.* (2020) Application of microbial network analysis to discriminate environmental heterogeneity in Fildes Peninsula, Antarctica. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 156, 111244.

34. Jiang, Y., Zhao, Y., Wang, X., Yang, F., Chen, M., Wang, J. (2020) Characterization of microplastics in the surface seawater of the South Yellow Sea as affected by season. Science of the Total Environment, 724, 138375.

35. Jiang, Y., Yang, F., Zhao, Y., Wang, J. (2020) Greenland Sea Gyre increases microplastic pollution in the surface waters of the Nordic Seas. Science of the Total Environment, 712, 136484.

36. Liu, M.^#, Wang, C.^#, Hu, X., Qu, Z., Jiang, L., Al-Farraj, S.A., El-Serehy, H.A., Warren, A., Song, W. (2020) Taxonomy and molecular phylogeny of three species of scuticociliates from China: Citrithrix smalli gen. nov., sp. nov., Homalogastra binucleata sp. nov. and Uronema orientalis Pan et al., 2015 (Protozoa, Ciliophora, Oligohymenophorea), with the proposal of a new family, Citrithrixidae fam. nov. Frontiers in Marine Science, 7, 604704.

37. Liu, M.^#, Li, L.^#, Zhang, T., Fan, X., Yi, Z., Lin, X. (2020) Two new scuticociliates from southern China: Uronema apomarinum sp. nov. and Homalogastra parasetosa sp. nov., with improved diagnoses of the genus Homalogastra and its type species Homalogastra setosa (Ciliophora, Oligohymenophorea). International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 70, 2405–2419.