Jin Xu's research interests include the prevention and control of agricultural and forestry pests; the reproductive behavior, physiology and molecular mechanisms of insects harmful to agriculture and forestry; and the insect⁠–microbe⁠–plant relationship and genetic evolution, symbiotic microbial species, and gene function and diversity. Jin Xu has received support on more than ten projects from the National Natural Science Foundation Program of P.R. China, Science and Technology Planning Project in Key Areas of Yunnan Province, and Joint Special Project of Yunnan Province for Agricultural Basic Research. Jin Xu has published more than 100 papers.