ProfessorYANG, Dan

Morningside Professor in Chemical Biology & Professor: Chair of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, HKU

B.Sc.(Fudan), M.A.(Columbia), Ph.D. 1991(Princeton)

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[javascript protected email address]
2859 2159
605 Chong Yuet Ming Chemistry Building, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong

Research area:

Fluorescent/chemilumilescent sensors for molecular detection and imaging of reactive oxygen species, lipids, metabolites and enzymes in living cells to study redox biology and human diseases;
Molecular probes for proteins and nucleic acids to investigate epigenetic changes in relation to their functions;
Synthetic ion transporters and their biological applications in eradicating cancer stem cells and drug-resistant bacteria.

Achievements:

Yoshida Prize by the International Organic Chemistry Foundation (IOCF) (2020)
Chinese Young Women in Science Fellowship (2011)
TWAS Prize in Chemistry (2010)
Associate Editor of Organic Letters (2010-)
Member of Editorial Advisory Board of Acc. of Chem. Res., J. Org. Chem., ACS Chem. Biol., Chem. Asian J., and Beilstein J. of Org. Chem.
Novartis Chemistry Lectureship Award (2008)
Morningside Professorship in Chemical Biology (2007)
Eli Lilly Scientific Excellence Award in China (2006)
Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award, JCI Hong Kong (2004)
HKU Outstanding Researcher Award (2003)
Outstanding Young Scholar Grant Award, NSFC (2003-05)
Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation's Unrestricted Grant Award in Synthetic Organic Chemistry (2001-04)
Croucher Senior Research Fellowship Award (2001)
Mr. and Mrs. Sun Chan Memorial Award in Organic Chemistry (2000, shared with Professor Gregory C. Fu at MIT)

Selected Publications:

S.-Y. Dai, D. Yang*. A Visible and Near-Infrared Light Activatable Diazo-Coumarin Probe for Fluorogenic Protein Labeling in Living Cells. J. Am. Chem. Soc.2020, 142, 17156–17166.
S. Ye, N. Hananya, O. Green, H.-S. Chen, A. Q. Zhao, J.-G. Shen, D. Shabat*, D. Yang*. A Highly Selective and Sensitive Chemiluminescent Probe for Real‐Time Monitoring of Hydrogen Peroxide in Cells and Animals. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59, 14326–14330.
F.-F. Shen, S.-Y. Dai, N.-K. Wong, S. Deng, A. S.-T. Wong, D. Yang*. Mediating K+/H+ Transport on Organelle Membranes to Selectively Eradicate Cancer Stem Cells by a Small Molecule. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142, 10769−10779.
X.-Y. Bai, K. K.-H. Ng, J. J. Hu, S. Ye, D. Yang*. Small Molecule-based Fluorescent Sensors for Selective Detection of Reactive Oxygen Species in Biological Systems. Annu. Rev. Biochem. 2019, 88, 605–633.
S. Ye, J. J. Hu, D. Yang*. Tandem Payne/Dakin Reaction: A New Strategy for Hydrogen Peroxide Detection and Molecular Imaging. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 10173 –10177.
M.-D. Li, N.-K. Wong, J. Xiao, R.-X. Zhu, L.-L. Wu, S. Y. Dai, F. Chen, G.-H. Huang, X.-Y. Bai, M. R. Geraskina, A. H. Winter, X.-B. Chen*, Y.-X. Liu, W.-H. Fang, D. Yang*, D. L. Phillips*. Dynamics of oxygen-independent photocleavage of blebbistatin as a one-photon blue or two-photon near infrared light-gated hydroxyl radical photocage. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 15957–15968.
X.-Y. Bai, Y.-Y. Huang, M.-Y. Lu, D. Yang*. HKOH-1: A Highly Sensitive and Selective Fluorescent Probe for Detecting Endogenous Hydroxyl Radical in Living Cells. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.2017, 56, 12873–12877.
Q.-S. Gu, D. Yang*. Enantioselective Synthesis of (+)-Mitomycin K via Palladium-Catalyzed Oxidative Tandem Cyclization. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017, 56, 5886–5889.
J. J. Hu, N.-K. Wong, S. Ye, X.-M. Chen, M.-Y. Lu, A. Q. Zhao, Y.-H. Guo, A. C.-H. Ma, A. Y.-H. Leung, J.-G. Shen, D. Yang*. Fluorescent Probe HKSOX-1 for Imaging and Detection of Endogenous Superoxide in Live Cells and In Vivo. J. Am. Chem. Soc.2015, 137, 6837-6843.
W. Du, Q.-S. Gu, Z.-L. Li, D. Yang*. Palladium(II)-Catalyzed Intramolecular Tandem Aminoalkylation via Divergent C(sp3)–H Functionalization. J. Am. Chem. Soc.2015, 137, 1130–1135.