Peng Chen
Professor and Chairman, Dept. of Chemical Biology
Email: pengchen at pku.edu.cn
Phone: 86-10-6275577
EDUCATION
2002-2007
Ph.D in Chemistry (2007) University of Chicago Chicago, USA
1998-2002
B.S. in Chemistry, Peking University Beijing, China
1999-2002
B.S. Double degree in Economics, Peking University Beijing, China
ACADEMIC POSITIONS
2022/01- present Executive Editor, ACS Chemical Biology, American Chemical Society
2021/05- present Director, Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, Peking University
2020/01-present Director, Division of Chemical Biology, Chinese Chemical Society
2019/03-2021/12 Associate Editor, ACS Chemical Biology, American Chemical Society
2018/01-present, Cheung Kong Professor, Ministry of Education, P.R.China
2016/01-present, Senior Investigator, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Science
2015/01-present, Chairman, Department of Chemical Biology, Peking University
2014/08-present, Professor, Department of Chemical Biology, Peking University
2011/05-2015/12, Investigator, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences
2009/07-2014/07, Investigator, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry, Peking University
2007-2009, Postdoctoral Fellow, The Scripps Research Institute, Advisor: Prof. Peter G. Schultz
2002-2007, Research Assistant, The University of Chicago, Chicago. Advisor: Prof. Chuan He
AWARDS
2023 The Science and Technology Innovation Award, Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation
2023 New Cornerstone Investigator
2020 National Award for Natural Sciences of China
2020 Fellow, Chinese Chemical Society
2019 XPLORER Prize
2019 C.C. Tan Life Science Award
2017 SBIC Early Career Award (Society of Biological Inorganic Chemistry)
2016 Tan Kah Kee Young Scientist Award
2016 Young Scientist Award, Ministry of Education (China)
2016 OKeanos-CAPA Young Investigator Award at the Chemistry and Biology Interface
2015 China Association for Instrumental Analysis (CAIA) Award
2015 The Chemical Society of Japan Distinguished Lectureship Award
2015 Young Science and Technology Innovation Talents (China)
2014 Roche Chinese Young Investigator Award
2014 (RSC) Chem Soc Rev Emerging Investigator Lectureship
2014 CAPA Biomatik Distinguished Faculty Award
2013 National Young Scientist Award (China)
2013 National Program for Special Support of Eminent Professionals (China)
2012 National Program for Special Support of Eminent Professionals (China)
2012 CCS (Chinese Chemical Society) Young Investigator Award
2011 WuXi PharmaTech Life Science and Chemistry Award
2011 Instructor award for the “Challenge Cup” undergraduate research competition at PKU
2007 Elizabeth R. Norton Prize for excellence in research in chemistry, The University of Chicago
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Our group works at the Chemistry-Biology Interface. Current efforts are focused on developing and applying bioorthogonal cleavage chemistry to study protein functions and protein-protein interactions in living systems. We also exploit the therapeutic potential of these novel reactions. Research directions we are actively pursuing include:
• Bioorthogonal Chemistry
• Protein Engineering and proteomics
• Tumor-Immune Interactions
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
(1) Zhu Y, Ding W, Fan X, Lin S*, Chen P*, “Genetically encoded bioorthogonal tryptophan decaging in living cells”, Nat. Chem.(2023), under revision.
(2) Weng Y, Chen W, Kong Q, Wang R, Zeng R, He A, Liu Y, Mao Y, Qin Y, , Zhang H, Wang J, Ke M, Tian R*, Chen P*. “DeKinomics pulse-chases kinase functions in living cells”, Nat. Chem. Biol. (2023), in press.
(3) Optical control of protein functions via genetically encoded photocaged aspartic acids”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2023),145, 19218-24.
(4)Qin F*, Li B, Wang H, Ma S, et al, Ji X*, Chen P*. “Linking chromatin acylation mark-defined proteome and genome in living cells”, Cell, (2023), 186, 1066-85.
(5)Liu H, Luo H, Xue Q, Qin S, Qiu S, Liu S, Lin J, Li JP*. Chen, P*, “Antigen-specific T cell detection via photocatalytic proximity cell labeling (PhoXCELL)”. J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2022), 144, 5517-26
(6) Liu S, Lin C, Xu Y, Luo H, Peng L, Zeng X, Zheng X, Chen P*, Zou P*. “A far-red hybrid voltage indicator enabled by bioorthogonal engineering of rhodopsin on live neurons”, Nat. Chem. (2021) 13,472–9.
(7) Wang J, Liu Y, Liu YJ, Zheng S, Wang X, Zhao J, Yang F, Zhang G, Wang C*, Chen P*. Time-resolved protein activation by proximal decaging in living systems Nature, (2019), 569, 509-13
(8)Li J, Chen P*. Development and application of bond cleavage reactions in bioorthogonal chemistry. Nat. Chem. Biol. 2016, 12, 129-137.
(9) Wang J, Zheng S, Liu Y, Zhang Z, Lin Z, Li J, Zhang G, Wang X, Li J, Chen P*. Palladium-triggered Chemical Rescue of Intracellular Proteins via Genetically Encoded Allene-caged Tyrosine. J. Am. Chem. Soc.2016, 138, 15118-15121
(10) Zhang G, Li J, Xie R, Fan X, Liu Y, Zheng S, Ge Y, Chen P*. Bioorthogonal chemical activation of kinases in living systems, ACS Cent. Sci. 2016, 2, 325-331.
(11) Li J, Jia S, Chen P*. Diels-Alder reaction-triggered bioorthogonal protein activation in living cells, Nat. Chem. Biol. 2014, 10, 1003-1005.
(12) Li J, Yu J, Zhao J , Wang J, Zheng S, Lin S, Chen L, Yang M, Jia S, Zhang X, Chen P*. Palladium-triggered deprotection chemistry for protein activation in living cells, Nat. Chem. 2014, 6, 352-361.
(13) Hao Z, Lou H, Zhu R, Zhu J, Zhang D, Zhao B, Zeng S, Chen X, Chan J, He C*, Chen P*. The multiple antibiotic resistance regulator MarR is a copper sensor in Escherichia coli, Nat. Chem. Biol. 2014, 10, 21-28.
(14) Li J, Lin S, Wang J, Jia S, Yang M, Zhang X, Hao Z, Chen P*. Ligand-free palladium-mediated site-specific protein labeling inside Gram-negative bacterial pathogens, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135, 7330-7338.
(15) Zhang M, Lin S, Song X, Liu J, Fu Y, Fu X, Chang Z*, and Chen, P*. A genetically incorporated crosslinker reveals chaperone cooperation in acid resistance, Nat. Chem. Biol, 2011, 7, 671-7.
BOOKS
(1) Jiang H, Chen Y, Chen P and Zhang L, “Chemical Biology Frontier and Perspective”. China Science Publishing (2013), ISBN: 978-7-03-037949-8
(2) Liu L, Chen P, Zhao J and He C “Principles of Chemical Biology”, China Science Publishing Group, (2010), ISBN: 978-7-03-028767-0.
(3) “The development Strategy of Chemical Biology in China”, China Science Publishing Group, (2015), Chapter 2 and 6.
(4) “China Medical Technology Report”, China Science Publishing Group, (2015), Chapter 3.
(5) Liu L, Chen P, Li Y, etc. “Chemical Biology Experiments”, USTC Press, (2015), ISBN: 978-7-312-03728-3.
TEACHING
• Fall 2013-present, “Chemical Biology Track”, Graduate Course, CLS, PKU.
• Fall 2009-present, “Introduction to Chemical Biology”, Graduate Course, PKU.
• Spring 2012-present, “Bioinorganic Chemistry”, Graduate Course, PKU
• Fall 2010-2014, “Today’s Chemistry”, Freshman Course, PKU.