He lectured Weed Science and Farming System Research at Fujian Agricultural and Forestry University between September 1987 and October 1994. After the completion of his Master study at Wageningen University & Research (The Netherlands) in 1996, he spent 6 months at Texas Tech University as a visiting scholar studying crop allelopathy. In 1999 Dr Wu received his PhD degree in Agriculture (Allelopathy) from Charles Sturt University (CSU).

He then worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow on genetic markers of wheat allelopathy at CSU between 2000 and 2002 and as a Weed Research Agronomist on integrated weed management of summer weeds with Leslie Research Centre, Queensland Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries, between 2003 and 2005. He joined DPIRD in January 2006 and is a team leader in weed research under Weeds Biosecurity branch. He has received significant research funding support from various organisations and works in a broad range of areas including weed biology, ecology, herbicide resistance, genetic diversity, weed genomics, early weed detection through machine learning and through eDNA/DNA barcoding, integrated weed management and agricultural extension.

Dr Wu supervises a number of PhD students and overseas visiting scholars in weed research and allelopathy. He is an Adjunct Professor of Charles Sturt University and currently sits on the editorial boards of “Allelopathy Journal”, “Frontiers in Agronomy” and “Journal of Cotton Research”.