1. 藻类评价水质研究：硅藻和蓝绿藻等是指示生态恶化和生态恢复的重要指示物，利用硅藻和蓝绿藻通过构建多维参数指数评价淡水生态系统的生物状态，为湖泊溪流的综合整治提供科学依据。另一兴趣是利用硅藻进行古湖泊学研究，比如重建湖泊富营养化的历史变迁。

2. 硅藻时空多样性的驱动因子研究：硅藻多样性受生态位和随机环境因子的影响，不同时空下多样性的驱动因子是当今该领域的前沿问题。

截至目前，已鉴定硅藻样本846个和软藻样本493个，拥有8年以上的淡水藻类鉴定经验。以第一作者发表论文10余篇，其中JCR一区5篇，二区5篇。Science of the Total Environment, Water Environment Science和Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety审稿人。多次参与Society of Freshwater Science年度会议并做口头报告。

1. Bo Liu, Shuo Chen, Hui Liu, Yueqiang Guan. 2020. Blue-green algae enhanced performance of diatom-based multimetric index on defining lake condition under high level of human disturbance. Science of the Total Environment (Available online 22 April, 38846)

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138846

2. Bo Liu, Shuo Chen, Hui Liu, Yueqiang Guan. 2020. Modeling cyanobacteria biomass by surface sediment diatoms in lakes: problems and suggestions. Ecological Modelling (Accepted).

3. Bo Liu, Shuo Chen, Hui Liu, Yueqiang Guan. 2020. Changes in the ratio of benthic to planktonic diatoms to eutrophication status of Muskegon Lake through time: implications for a valuable indicator on water quality. Ecological Indicators, 114, 106284.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106284

4. Melissa M. Baustian, Yolanda Brooks, Mark Baskaran, Peter R. Leavitt, Bo Liu, Nathaniel Ostrom, R. Jan Stevenson, Joan Rose. 2020. Paleo-environmental evidence of ecosystem change in Lake St. Clair region of Laurentian Great Lakes basin: contrasting responses to land-use change and invasive mussels. Journal of Paleolimnology, 63, 177-193.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-019-00108-x

5. Bo Liu, Shanmao Cao. 2019. Comment: Averaging statistics of multimetric index leading to an inaccurate evaluation on methods of defining biological condition of streams/rivers in ecological assessment. Science of the Total Environment, 649: 1640-1642.

DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.376

6. Bo Liu, Colleen E. McLean, David T. Long, Alan D. Steinman, R. Jan Stevenson. 2018. Eutrophication and recovery of a Lake inferred from sedimentary diatoms originating from different habitats. Science of the Total Environment, 628-629: 1352-1361.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.02.174

7. Bo Liu, Shanmao Cao. 2018. Asynchronous changes in trophic status of a lake and its watershed inferred from sedimentary diatoms of different habitats. Ecological Indicators, 90: 215-225.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.03.018

8. Bo Liu, R. Jan Stevenson. 2017. Improving assessment accuracy on lake biological condition by classifying lakes with diatom typology, varying metrics and modeling multimetric indices. Science of the Total Environment, 609: 263-271. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.07.152

9. Ke Li, Qiao-Lian Li, Nai-Yun Ji, Bo Liu, Wei Zhang, Xu-Peng Cao. 2011. Deoxyuridines from the marine sponge associated actinomycete Streptomyces microflavus. Marine Drugs, 9(5): 690-695.

http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/5/690/htm

10. Bo Liu, Zhiming Yu, Xiuxian Song, Fei Yang. 2010. Effects of sodium dodecyl sulfate and Sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate on the Mytilus galloprovincialis biomarker system. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 73(5): 835-841. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651309002887

11. Bo Liu, Zhiming Yu, Xiuxian Song. 2007. Studies on the transmission of WSSV (white spot syndrome virus) in juvenile Marsupenaeus japonicusvia marine microalgae. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 95(2): 87-92. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022201107000183

12. Bo Liu, Zhiming Yu, Xiuxian Song, XufengJian, Jianguo He. 2006. The effect of acute salinity change on white spot syndrome (WSS) outbreaks in Fenneropenaeus chinensis. Aquaculture, 253(1-4):163-170.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0044848605005417