1.天然产物的生物合成

2.蛋白质结构与功能研究和优化

3.酶工程和生物催化研究

人工细胞工厂（本，硕）；药学基础

作为国内外专业杂志审稿人，为科研工作服务，审稿期刊包括1区top杂志ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering（IF 9.2），2区专业核心期刊Microbial Cell Factories(IF:6.4)等

发表学术论文60余篇，其中第一/通讯作者论文总数20多篇，发表在本领域国内外核心期刊 PNAS，Metabolic Engineering, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering，Green Chemistry, JAFC, JBC, ACS Synthetic Biology等；授权专利10余项。

近5年来主持国家级别项目3项，省部级项目1项，横向项目1向，项目经费合计340万元，参与国家级别项目1项，横向项目1项，项目经费合计1152万元。

1. Jiang GZ, Yao MD, Wang Y, Zhou L, Song TQ, Liu H, Xiao WH, Yuan YJ. Manipulation of GES and ERG20 for geraniol overproduction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Metab Eng. 2017 May;41:57-66. doi: 10.1016/j.ymben.2017.03.005. Epub 2017 Mar 27. PMID: 28359705.

2. Zhou K, Yu C, Liang N, Xiao W, Wang Y, Yao M, Yuan Y. Adaptive Evolution and Metabolic Engineering Boost Lycopene Production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae via Enhanced Precursors Supply and Utilization. J Agric Food Chem. 2023 Mar 1;71(8):3821-3831. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c08579. Epub 2023 Feb 20. PMID: 36802623.

3. Liang N, Yao MD, Wang Y, Liu J, Feng L, Wang ZM, Li XY, Xiao WH, Yuan YJ. CsCCD2 Access Tunnel Design for a Broader Substrate Profile in Crocetin Production. J Agric Food Chem. 2021 Oct 6;69(39):11626-11636. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c04588. Epub 2021 Sep 23. PMID: 34554747.

4. Liang N, Chen C, Wang Y, Ding MZ, Yao MD, Xiao WH, Yuan YJ. Exploring Catalysis Specificity of Phytoene Dehydrogenase CrtI in Carotenoid Synthesis. ACS Synth Biol. 2020 Jul 17;9(7):1753-1762. doi: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00128. Epub 2020 Jul 8. PMID: 32579850.

5.Yao MD, Ohtsuka J, Nagata K, Miyazono K, Zhi Y, Ohnishi Y, Tanokura M. Complex structure of the DNA-binding domain of AdpA, the global transcription factor in Streptomyces griseus, and a target duplex DNA reveals the structural basis of its tolerant DNA sequence specificity. J Biol Chem. 2013 Oct 25;288(43):31019-29. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M113.473611. Epub 2013 Sep 9. PMID: 24019524; PMCID: PMC3829415.