2019 – present, Research Associate Professor, Peking University
2017 – 2019, Associate professor, Nanjing Tech University
2014 – 2017, Postdoctoral fellow, Peking University
2013 – University of Pennsylvania, Visiting scholar, Organic chemistry.
2010 – 2014, ICIQ - Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (Spain), Ph.D, Organic chemistry
2003 – 2010, Lanzhou University, BS & MS, Biotechnology and Biochemistry
Chemical biology, Bioorthogonal photocatalytic, Bioorthogonal chemistry, Photocatalytic chemistry
Our group is dedicated to developing cutting-edge chemical tools for living systems, with a specific focus on achieving efficient and precise in situ spatiotemporal labeling and modulation in genetically intractable samples, such as primary cells, tissues, and clinical specimens.
Building on our extensive expertise in bioorthogonal reactions and photocatalytic chemistry, we pioneered the innovative concept of "Bioorthogonal Photocatalysis." By utilizing photocatalysts for precise spatial targeting and exogenous light for temporal resolution, we have developed a suite of novel technologies that offer flexible and controllable spatiotemporal labeling and modulation.
Based on this concept, we have systematically constructed a representative series of photocatalytic platforms, collectively termed CAT-X. These include CAT-Prox (mitochondria), CAT-S (enhanced proximity labeling), CAT-Ex (membrane receptors), CAT-Cell (cell–cell interactions), CAT-Tissue (tissue mapping), CAT-Lyso (lysosomes), CAT-ER (endoplasmic reticulum), CAT-seq (transcriptomics), CAT-ortho (multi-omics), CAT-NIR (near-infrared activation), and CAT-tag (photocatalytic tags). Together, these technologies provide novel chemical strategies for proximity labeling, spatiotemporal omics, precise intervention, clinical biomarker discovery, and precision medicine.
ACS Bioconjugate Chemistry Early-Career Award (2026)；
CCS Young Innovator Award in Photochemistry (2025)；
Faculty Research Awardee，Boehringer Ingelheim (2024)；
National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars of China
NG Teng Fong/ Sino Scholarship for Outstanding Youth
Li Ge-Zhao Ning Youth Fund for Life Sciences
33) Guo, H.#; Liu, Z.#; Guo, F.; Lou, Z.; Chen, P.*; Fan, X.*, “Enabling Proteins with Photocatalytic Functions via HisTag–Iridium Coordination.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2026, 148 (1), 1538–1551 (CAT-tag technology)
32) Qin, S.; Liang, X.; Chen, P.*; Fan, X.*, “Remote Molecule Activation in Living Mice Triggered by Therapeutic Ultrasound” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2026, 65 (13), e25894 (dBus technology).
31) Y. Zhu; S. Liu; S. Qin; X. Wang; X. Zhang; Y. Shan; Fan, X.*, Chen, P.*, “Bioorthogonal Phenylalanine Decaging on Living Cells” Nat. Chem. 2026, just accepted.
30) Bi, Y.#; Yu, L.#; Deng, Q.#; Kong, L.; Guo, F.; Zhang, Y.; Wang, R.; Chen, P.*; Liu, J.*; Fan, X.*, “Photocatalytic Proximity Labeling-Enabled Subcellular-Resolved RNA Profiling and Synchronous Multi-omics Investigation.” Nat. Chem. 2025, 17 (12), 1871-1882. (CAT-seq and CAT-ortho technologies)
Bi, Y.; Fan, X.*, “Simultaneous subcellular RNA–protein profiling with photocatalytic labelling.” Nat. Chem. 2025, 17 (12), 1817-1818. (Research Briefing of CAT-ortho)
29) Zhou, N.#; Zhang, Y.#; Chen, P.*; Fan, X.*, “Time-Resolved Photocatalytic Proximity Labeling Uncovers ER Proteome Dynamics Underlying UPR to Apoptosis Transition.” PNAS 2025, 122, e2503115122. (CAT-ER technology)
28) Lou, Z.#; Zhang, Y.#; Liang, X.; Cao, M.; Ma, Y.; Chen, P.*; Fan, X.*, “Deep-Red and Ultrafast Photocatalytic Proximity Labeling Empowered in situ Dissection of Tumor-Immune Interactions in Primary Tissues.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 9716-9726. (CAT-Tissuetechnology)
27) Zhang, Y.#; Liu, Z.#; Zhou, N.#; Guo, F.; Guo, H.; Chen, X.; Chen, P.*; Fan, X.*, “In situ Lysosomal Proteomics Enabled by Bioorthogonal Photocatalytic Proximity Labeling.” Nat. Catal. 2025, 162-177 (CAT-Lyso technology)
26) Zhong, J.; Li, Y.; Li, X.; Liang, F.; Tao, R.; Qian, S.*; Fan, X.*, Near Infrared Light-Triggered Small Molecule Chemical Reactions in Biocompatible Systems. Bioconjugate Chem. 2025, 36 (7), 1362-1376.
25) Liu, Z.; Zhang, Y.; Fan, X.*; Chen, P. R.*, “Chemical Decoding of Spatial Biology”. Nat. Chem. Biol. 2025, 21 (7), 983-984.
24) Zhu, Y.; Lin, F.; Liu, Z.; Wang, X.; Wang, S.; Fan, X.*; Chen, P. R.*, “Bioorthogonal Cleavage Chemistry: Harnessing the Bond-Break Reactions for Biomolecule Manipulations in Living Systems”. Chin. J. Chem. 2025, 43 (5), 553-566.
23) Guo, F.; Sun, Z.; Ding, B.*; Fan, X.*, 第一过渡周期金属参与的光催化反应研究进展, 新兴科学和技术趋势 2025, 4 (2), 129-145. (Invited review)
22) Liu, Z.#; Guo, F.#; Zhu, Y.; Qin, S.; Hou, Y.; Lin, F.; Guo, H.; Chen, P.*; Fan, X.*, “Bioorthogonal Photocatalytic Proximity Labeling in Primary Living Samples.” Nat. Commun. 2024, 15 (1), 2712. (CAT-S technology)
21) Zhu, Y.#; Ding, W.#; Chen, Y.; Shan, Y.; Liu, C.; Fan, X.*; Lin, S.*; Chen, P.*, Genetically encoded bioorthogonal tryptophan decaging in living cells. Nat. Chem. 2024, 16 (4), 533-542
20) Zhang, Y.; Liu, S.; Guo, F.; Qin, S.; Zhou, N.; Fan, X.*; Chen, P.*, Bioorthogonal photocatalytic quinone methide decaging for cell-cell interaction labeling. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 15186-15197. (CAT-Cell technology)
19) Guo, F.#; Zhu, J.#; Fan, X.*, Dual Role Tertiary Amines in Photocatalytic Cyclizations: Towards Sustainable Syntheses of 1,3-Dinitrogen Heterocycles. Chem. Commun. 2024, 60 (74), 10164-10167 (Invited paper for special issue “2024 emerging investigators”).
18) Guo, F.#; Qin, S.#; Liu, Z.#; Chen, P.*; Fan, X.*, Decaging-to-labeling: Development and investigation of quinone methide warhead for protein labeling. Bioorg. Chem. 2024, 143, 107088. (Invited paper for special issue “emerging investigators in chemical biology in China”).
17) Liang, X.#; Qian, S.#; Lou, Z.; Hu, R.; Hou, Y.; Chen, P.*; Fan, X.*, Near Infrared Light-Triggered Photocatalytic Decaging for Remote-Controlled Spatiotemporal Activation in Living Mice. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, e202310920. (CAT-NIR technology)
16) Zhang, X.#; Huang, H.#; Liu, Y.; Wu, Z.; Wang, F.; Fan, X.*; Chen, P.*; Wang, J.*, Optical Control of Protein Functions via Genetically Encoded Photocaged Aspartic Acids. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023, 145, 19218–19224.
15) Guo, F.#; Shan, S.#; Gong, X.#; Dai, C.; Quan, Z.*; Cheng, X.*; Fan, X.*, Deuteration Degree-Controllable Methylation via a Cascade Assembly Strategy using Methylamine-Water as Methyl Source. Chem. Eur. J. 2023, e202301458.
14) Liu, Y.; Ge, Y.; Zeng, R.; Ngai William Shu, C.; Fan, X.*; Chen, P.*, Proximity Chemistry in Living Systems. CCS Chem. 2023, 5, 802-813.
13) Fan, X.*; Chen, P.*, Deciphering Life Sciences with “Live” Chemistry—The 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Sci. China Chem. 2023,66 (1), 7-9.
12) Liu, Z.; Xie, X.; Huang, Z.; Lin, F.; Liu, S.; Chen, Z.; Qin, S.; Fan, X.*; Chen, P.*, Spatially resolved cell tagging and surfaceome labeling via targeted photocatalytic decaging. Chem 2022, 8, 2179–2191. (CAT-Ex technology)
11) Ngai, W. S. C.#; Yang, S.#; Zeng, X.; Liu, Y.; Lin, F.; Wang, X.; Zhang, H.; Fan, X.*; Chen, P.*, Bioorthogonally Activatable Base Editing for On-Demand Pyroptosis. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144 (12), 5411-5417.
10) Luo, H.#; Tang, W.#; Liu, H.; Zeng, X.; Ngai, W. S. C.; Gao, R.; Li, H.; Li, R.; Zheng, H.; Guo, J.; Qin, F.; Wang, G.; Li, K.; Fan, X.*;Zou, P.*; Chen, P.*, Photocatalytic Chemical Crosslinking for Profiling RNA–Protein Interactions in Living Cells. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022, 61 (27), e202202008. (CAX technology)
9) Huang, Z.#; Liu, Z.#; Xie, X.; Zeng, R.; Chen, Z.; Kong, L.; Fan, X.*; Chen, P.*, Bioorthogonal Photocatalytic Decaging-Enabled Mitochondrial Proteomics. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143 (44), 18714-18720. (CAT-Prox technology)
8) Wang J.#; Wang X.#; Fan, X.*; Chen P.*, Unleashing the Power of Bond Cleavage Chemistry in Living Systems. ACS Cent. Sci. 2021 7(6), 929-943.
7) Zhu, J.#; Dai, C.#; Ma, M.; Yue, Y.; Fan, X.*, Visible light-mediated cross-coupling of electrophiles: synthesis of α-amino amides from isocyanates and ketimines. Org. Chem. Front. 2021, 8 (6): 1227-32.
6) Lizandara-Pueyo, C.*; Fan, X.*; Ayats, C.; Pericàs, M. A., Calcium carbonate as heterogeneous support for recyclable organocatalysts. J. Catal. 2021, 393, 107-115.
5) Wang, X.; Zhang, X.; Huang, Z.; Fan, X.*; Chen, P.*, Recent Progress of Bioorthogonal Chemistry in China. Acta Chim. Sinica 2021,79 (4), 406-413.
4) Zhang, X.; Luo, H.; Fan, X.*; Chen, P.*, Development and applications of inverse-electron-demand Diels-Alder reaction in bioorthogonal chemistry. Sci. Sin. Chim. 2020, 50 (10), 1280-1295.
3) Wang, R.; Ma, M.; Gong, X.; Fan, X.*; Walsh, P. J.* “Reductive Cross-Coupling of Aldehydes and Imines Mediated by Visible Light Photoredox Catalysis”, Org. Lett. 2019, 21 (1), 27-31.
2) Fan, X.*; Gong, X.; Ma, M.; Wang, R.; Walsh, P. J.* “Visible Light-Promoted CO2 Fixation with Imines to Synthesize Diaryl α-Amino Acids”, Nat. Commun. 2018, 9(1), 4936.
1) Wang, R.; Ma, M.; Gong, X.; Fan, X.*; Walsh, P. J.* “Visible Light-Mediated Umpolung Reactivity of Imines: Ketimine Reductions with Cy2NMe and Water”, Org. Lett. 2018, 2433.
