1.基因组导向的活性天然产物的发现：针对特殊生境微生物（植物内生真菌、海洋来源真菌），在基因组生物信息学分析的基础上，利用多种现代生物学技术激活其中的沉默基因，发现其特殊生境下的活性化合物。
2.活性天然产物的生物合成与结构优化：针对新颖结构或稀有的活性分子，阐明其独特的生物合成机制，发现并累积特殊功能的基因元件，利用合成生物学或组合生物合成技术对其进行高效绿色地异源生物合成与结构优化，为新药创制提供先导化合物。

1. Jian Bai#, Daojiang Yan#, Tao Zhang, Yongzhi Guo, Yunbao Liu, Yi Zou, Mancheng Tang, Bingyu Liu, Qiong Wu, Shishan Yu*, Yi Tang*, Youcai Hu*. A Cascade of Redox Reactions Generates Complexity in the Biosynthesis of the Protein Phosphatase-2 Inhibitor Rubratoxin A. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2017, 56, 4782-4786.
2. Qian Wei#, Jian Bai#, Daojiang Yan, Xiuqi Bao, Wenting Li, Bingyu Liu, Dan Zhang, Xiangbing Qi, Dequan Yu, Youcai Hu*. Genome mining combined metabolic shunting and OSMAC strategy of an endophytic fungus leads to the production of diverse natural products, Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, 2021, 11(2): 572-587. (cover paper)
3. Lihua Zhang,Yanan Wang, Le Zhang, Bingyu Liu, Chen Zhang, Daojiang Yan, Jian Bai*, Youcai Hu*. Phomoidrides E–G, three dimeric anhydrides from the fungus Pleosporales sp. give new insight to the biosynthesis of phomoidrides, Organic Chemistry Frontiers, 2021, 8(21): 5926-5933. (cover paper)
4. Jian Bai, Rong Mu, Man Dou, Daojiang Yan, Bingyu Liu, Qian Wei, Jun Wan, Yi Tang, Youcai Hu*. Epigenetic modification in histone deacetylase deletion strain of Calcarisporium arbuscula leads to diverse diterpenoids. Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, 2018, 8, 687-697.
5. Xi-Lin Zhang, Bing-Guo Lu, Jian Bai*, Ning Li*. Alkaloids isolated from the endophytic fungus Fusarium concentricum. Natural Product Research, 2024, 38(9): 1517-1523.