Peng Chen 

Investigator, Department of Chemical Biology, Peking University

Investigator, Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center (SFBC)

Investigator, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences.

Education and Research Background

Peng Chen, born in 1979 at Lanzhou, China. Dr. Chen obtained his B.S. degree in Chemistry from Peking University in 2002 and his Ph.D. degree under the guidance of Prof. Chuan He at The University of Chicago in 2007. After a postdoctoral training with Prof. Peter Schultz at The Scripps Research Institute in 2007-2009, he started his independent research at Peking University since 2009. He has received Chinese Chemical Society Young Investigator Award and National Natural Science Funds for Distinguished Young Scholar both in 2012.

Research Direction and Achievements

My research is focused at the interface of chemistry and biology. Based on the knowledge and methodology from chemistry, we hope to develop versatile tools and strategies that can be applied to solve important problems in life sciences. Research directions include:
• Protein Engineering, Protein Labeling and Protein Medicinal Chemistry;
• Infectious Disease and Human immune Response (Host-pathogen Interaction);
• Bioorthogonal Chemistry in living cells;
• Protein based biosensors for metal ions and small molecules.

Web site: /chenpeng/

Recent Publications

1. Li J, Yu J, Zhao J , Wang J, Zheng S and Chen P*. “Palladium-triggered Deprotection Chemistry for Protein Activation in Living Cells”, Nat. Chem. (2014) Accepted.
2. Hao Z, Lou H, Zhu R, Zhu J, Zhang D, Zhao B, Zeng S, Chen X, Chan J, He C* and Chen P*. “The multiple antibiotic resistance regulator MarR is a copper sensor in Escherichia coli” Nat. Chem. Biol., (2014), 10, 21-8.
3. Lin S, Yan H, Li L, Yang M, Peng B, Chen S, Li W* and Chen P*, “Site-specific Engineering of Chemical Functionalities on the Surface of Live Hepatitis D Virus” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., (2013), 52, 13970-4.
4. Li J, Lin S, Wang J, Jia S, Yang M, Zhang X, Hao Z and Chen P* “Ligand-free Palladium-mediated Site-specific Protein Labeling inside Gram-negative Bacterial Pathogens”. J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2013)  135, 7330-7338.
5. Zhao J, Lin S, Huang Y, Zhao J*, Chen P*. Mechanism-Based Design of a Photoactivatable Firefly Luciferase”. J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2013), 135, 7410-7413. 
6. Liu, J.; Karpus, J.;Wegner, S.; Chen P* and He C*. “Genetically Encoded Copper(I) Reporters with Improved Responses for Use in Imaging”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2013), 135:3144-3149.
7. Zhao BS, Zhang G, Zeng S, He C, Chen P*. “Probing subcellular organic hydroperoxide formation via a genetically encoded ratiometric and reversible fluorescent indicator.”, Integr. Biol (2013), 5, 1485-9.
8. Yang, M.; Song, Y.; Zhang, M.; Lin, S.; Hao, Z.; Liang,Y.; Zhang, D. and Chen, P.* “Converting a solvatochromic fluorophore into a protein-based pH indicator for extreme acidity” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2012, DOI: 10.1002/anie.201204029
9. Li, Y.; Yang, M.; Huang, Y.; Song, X.; Liu, L* and Chen, P.* “Genetically encoded alkenyl-pyrrolysine analogues for thiol-ene reaction mediated site-specific protein labeling”, Chem. Sci., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/C2SC20433A
10. Li, J. and Chen, P.* "Moving Pd-mediated Protein Cross-coupling to Living Systems" ChemBioChem. 2012, DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201200353
11. Lin, SX.; Zhang, Z.; Xu, H.; Li, L.; Chen, S.; Li, J.; Hao,Z.; Chen, P.* “Site-specific incorporation of photocrosslinker and bioorthogonal amino acids into enteric bacterial pathogens”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011, 133, 20581-20587.
12. 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, 671-677. [This work is a “News Coverage” on Chem. & Eng. News. Sep 7, 2011，and has been highlighted by Nature Asia-Pacific on Sep 5, 2011 ]
13. Hao ZY, Hong SL, Chen X*, Chen, P.* “Introducing Bioorthogonal Functionalities into Proteins in Living Cells”, Acc. Chem. Res., 2011, 44, 742-751.
14. Hao, Z.; Song, Y.; Lin, S.; Yang, M.; Liang, Y.; Wang, J.; Chen, P.* “A readily synthesized cyclic pyrrolysine analogue for site-specific protein ‘click’ labeling”. Chem Commun (Camb), 2011, 47, 4502-4504.
15. Simen Zhao, B.; Liang, Y.; Song, Y.; Zheng, C.; Hao, Z.; Chen, P.* “A Highly Selective Fluorescent Probe for Visualization of Organic Hydroperoxides in Living Cells”. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010. 132, 17065-17067.
16. Chen, P.; Dan G; Guo, J.; Ou, W; Geierstanger, B.H*.; and Schultz, P.G*. “A facile system for encoding unnatural amino acids in mammalian cells”, Angew Chem. Int. Ed. 2009, 48, 4052-4055.
17. Chen, P.; Bae, T.; Williams, W.A.; Duguid, E.M.; Rice, P.A.; Schneewind, O. and He, C*. “An oxidation sensing mechanism is used by a global regulator MgrA in Staphylococcus aureus”, Nat. Chem. Biol. 2006, 2, 591-595.