• Ph.D. in Microbial Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (1997)

Investigate the relationship between microbial biodiversity and biogeochemical processes in the context of anthropogenically induced environmental issues in both terrestrial and coastal ecosystems. In particular, the research focuses on denitrification and mercury methylation, and combines improved culture-dependent (e.g. optimized cultivation), modern molecular (e.g. RT-PCR, QPCR and clone library) and in situ biogeochemical (e.g. process rate and microsensor measurements) approaches. Study the ecology and evolution of pathogen indicator microbes and pathogenic vibrios in aquatic ecosystems by coupling culturing and QPCR approaches.

• Short-term and long-term impacts of Hurricane Katrina on Lake Pontchartrain ecosystem (PI). NASA.
• Impact of Hurricane Katrina on Lake Pontchartrain ecosystem: geochemistry, microbiology, and potential human health effects (PI). NSF.
• Northern Gulf of Mexico Cooperative Institute: Public Health and Stressors (Co-PI). NOAA.
• Comparative functional assessment of differential sediment slurry applications to rapidly subsiding brackish marshes (Co-PI). CICEET.
• Impacts of land use on denitrifying community in the lower Mississippi River alluvial valley (PI). NSF/LA EPSCoR.
• Benthic biological metadata (PI). NOAA
• Total and methylmercury in sediment and fish at off-shore platforms and in the hypoxia zone of the Northern Gulf of Mexico (Co-PI). Sea Grant.
• Total mercury, methylmercury and other toxic heavy metals in Lake Pontchartrain Basin (Co-PI). Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation and NOAA.
• Quantifying Nir gene fragments and determining fungal denitrification in riparian forests of the lower Mississippi River valley: A pilot study (PI). Department of Interior.
• Linking Denitrification Capacity and Denitrification Genes (nir and nos) in the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (PI). LSU Faculty Research Grant Program.

• Sinigalliano C.D., M.L. Gidley, T. Shibata, D. Whitman, T.H. Dixon, E. Laws, A.X. Hou, D. Bachoon, L. Brand, L. Amaral-Zettler, R. J. Gast, G. F. Steward, O. D. Nigro, R. Fujioka, W.Q. Betancourt, G. Vithanage, J. Mathews , L.E. Fleming, H. M. Solo-Gabriele. 2007. Impacts of Hurricane Katrina on Microbial Landscape of the New Orleans Area. Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences (in press).
• Hou, A.X. E.A. Laws, R.P. Gambrell, H.S. Bae, M. Tan, R.D. DeLaune, Y. Li, and H. Roberts. 2006. Pathogen indicator microbes and heavy metals in Lake Pontchartrain f ollowing Hurricane Katrina. Environmental Science and Technology40: 5904-5910.
• Devai, I. R.D. DeLaune, A.X. Hou, and A. Jugsujinda. 2006. Total and methylmercury in sediment of offshore platforms of the Gulf of Mexico. Soil and Sediment Contamination (in press).
• Jiao, Z., A.X. Hou, Y. Shi, G. Huang, Y. Wang, X. Chen. 2006. Water management influencing CH 4 and N 2O emissions from a rice field in relation to soil redox and microbial community. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 37:1889-1903.
• Zheng, J., C. Wang, Y. Wang, A.X. Hou, C. Lu, Y. Shi, and X. Chen. 2006. Effect of N fertilization on N 2O emission and soil nitrogen in aquic brown soil. Chin. J. System Sciences and Comprehensive Studies in Agriculture 22(2):139-142.
• DeLaune, R.D., A. Jugsujinda, I. Devai, and A.X. Hou. 2005. Denitrification in bottom sediment near oil production facilities off the Louisiana Gulf Coast. Chemistry and Ecology 21: 101-108.
• Hou, A.X., and H. Tsuruta. 2003. Nitrous oxide and nitric oxide fluxes from an upland field in Japan: Effect of urea type, placement, and crop residues. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 65:191-200.
• DeLaune, R.D., A.X. Hou, and A. Jugsujinda. 2003. Denitrification potential in a Louisiana wetland receiving diverted Mississippi river water. Chemistry and Ecology 19(6): 411-418.