Prof. Chunte (Sam) Peng

Professor Peng’s lab will develop novel probes and microscopy techniques to visualize the dynamics of individual molecules in living cells, which will improve the understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying human diseases.

The multidisciplinary research in the Peng group aims to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which human diseases occur. We develop and integrate a diverse toolbox spanning single-molecule microscopy, super-resolution microscopy, spectroscopy, nanomaterial engineering, biophysics, chemical biology, and quantitative modeling to uncover previously unexplored biological processes. With bright and photostable probes, we have unprecedented capability to record ultralong-term “molecular movies” in living systems with high spatiotemporal resolutions and reveal molecular interactions that drive biological functions. We are particularly interested in studying molecular dynamics, protein-protein interactions, and cellular heterogeneity involved in neurobiology and cancer biology.