Education   

1998-2001    Department of Chemistry, Nankai University, China. Received PhD degree in June, 2001 (with Prof. Yun-Ti Chen)   

1995-1998    Department of Chemistry, Nankai University, China. Received MS degree in June, 2001 (with Prof. Huakuan Lin)

1991-1995    Department of Chemistry, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, China. Received BSc Degree in June, 1991  

Research in Prof. Su group focuses on the synthesis of functional magnetic tags including paramagnetic lanthanide binding ligands and 19F-probes to elucidate dynamics and interactions of proteins in cells using NMR and EPR spectroscopy. We are particularly interested in development of chemical methods suitable for site-specific modification of proteins in live cells, and NMR methods for quantification of important analytes in biofluids and live cells. We have developed some important strategies for precise modification of proteins and high-performance paramagnetic and 19F tags for biomolecular EPR and NMR assay.

(1) Protein chemistry: methods in protein modifications, protein coupling reactions and biosynthesis

(2) Methods of biological magnetic resonance for the in-cell applications

(3) Chemical biology and biochemical analysis

Professional Memberships 

2018-  Member, Editorial board of Scientific Reports

2019-  Member, Editorial Board of Magnetic Resonance Letters

2026- Member, Editorial Advisory Board of Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters

Selected Publications

1. Li M, Zhang Q*, Kong X, Zhao S, Pan BB, Sun Z, Yu P, Wang Z, Wang M, Ji W, Kong F, Cheng G, Wu S, Wang Y, Chen S, Su XC*, Shi F*. Quantum relaxometry for detecting biomolecular interactions with single NV centers. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2025, 122:e2509102122

2. Pan BB*, Zhou C, Meng WH, Zhang LY, Zhao JL, Su XC*. Transsulfurase-catalyzed reversible modification of C-terminal cysteine and application for orthogonal dual labeling of proteins. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2025, 64:e202507661.

3. Xu LH, Chen YT, Zhang X, Su XC*. In situ quantification of ammonia in biofluids using high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance. Anal. Chem. 2025, 97, 12605-12612.

4. Cui CY, Li B, Zhang X, Guo SL, Pan BB, Su XC*. Visualization and quantification of base-level SO₂ in live cells without intracellular background interference using sensitive 19F-NMR. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147, 19893-19901

5. Zhang X, Li MH, Chen BG, Liu HK, Su XC*. Systematic kinetic assay of phenylsulfonyl pyridine derivatives with free thiol for site-specific modification of proteins. Org. Biomol. Chem. 2025, 23, 4768-4775

6. Edinach E, Zhang X, Cui CY, Yang Y, Mitrikas G, Bogdanov A, Su XC*, Goldfarb D*. Can label or protein deuteration extend the phase relaxation time of Gd(III) spin labels? Magn. Reson. 2025, 6, 211–228

7. Bogdanov A, Frydman V, Su XC, Goldfarb D*. Decoherence of hyperfine coupled ¹⁹F and 1H nuclei in gadolinium(III) model complexes. J. Phys. Chem. B 2025, 129, 6604-6612.

8. Gao Y, Pan BB, Leng Y, Wang XW, Li S, Deng P, Ma Y, Song Y, Su XC*, Yang Y*, Liu Y*. SNAr-based labeling of proteins with trityl radicals enables high-precision, high-sensitivity, and long-range distance measurement. Anal. Chem. 2025, 97, 9256-9264

9. Fan C, Trajkovski M, Li, Q, Chen Yating, Cui C, Li M, Lu K, Zhou Y, Wang B*, Su XC*, Plavec J*, Zhou C*. Synthesis of 4′-SCF₃–modified ribonucleic acid for structural probing by ¹⁹F Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. J. Org. Chem. 2025, 90, 11538-11544.

10. Li MH, Zhang X, Pan BB, Su XC*. Excellent Fe(II) binding tag in protein paramagnetic NMR spectroscopy. Inorg. Chem. 2025, 64, 7890-7901

11. Chen YT, Zhang X, Chen JL, Pan BB, Su XC*. Rigid and stable nitroxide spin label for high-resolution distance measurements on proteins by DEER experiments. Magn. Reson. Lett. 2025, 5, 200194.

12. Chen JL, Chen SN, Liu HK, Pan BB, Zhao Y, Fu X, Otting G, Su XC*. Rational design of lanthanide-binding tags to optimize magnetic anisotropy in paramagnetic protein NMR. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147, 9939-9952.

13. Guo SL, Pan BB, Li XY, Xiao YH, Su XC*. ¹⁹F-PCS measurements on proteins in live mammalian cells. Chem. Commun. 2025, 1156-1159.

14. Meng WH, Zhang X, Pan BB, Tan X, Zhao JL, Liu Y, Yang Y*, Goldfarb D, Su XC*. Efficient orthogonal spin labeling of proteins via aldehyde cyclization for pulsed dipolar EPR distance measurements. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147, 234-246.

15. Chen JL, Su XC*. Distinct association of HRAS and KRAS with Mn²⁺ ion illustrated by paramagnetic NMR. Magn. Reson. Lett. 2024, 5:20016

16. Chen JL, Li B, Yang F, Shi T, Su XC*. Increase of chiral sensing ability in host-guest chemistry by magnetic anisotropy. Since China Chem. 2024, 67, 2775-2782.

17. Chen JL, Wang X, Yang F, Li B, Otting G, Su XC*. 3D Structure of the transient intermediate of the enzyme–substrate complex of sortase A reveals how calcium binding and substrate recognition cooperate in substrate activation. ACS Catal. 2023, 13, 11610-11624

18. Cui CY, Li B, Su XC*. Real time monitoring of the level and activity of intracellular glutathione in live cells at atomic resolution by ¹⁹F-NMR. ACS Cent. Sci. 2023, 9, 1623-1632.

19. Chen JL*, Yang Y, Shi T, Su XC.* Effective assessment of lanthanide ion delivery into live cells by paramagnetic NMR spectroscopy. Chem. Comm. 2023, 59, 10552-10555.

20. Wang XW, Zhang X, Cui CY, Li B, Goldfarb D, Yang Y*, Su XC*. Stabilizing nitroxide spin labels for structural and conformational studies of biomolecules by maleimide treatment. Chem. Eur. J. 2023, 29, e202301350

21. Seal M, Zhu W, Dalaloyan A, Feintuch A, Bogdanov A, Frydman V, Su XC, Gronenborn AM, Goldfarb D*. GdIII -19F distance measurements for proteins in cells by electron-nuclear double resonance. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2023, 62, e202218780

22. Pan BB, Liu HZ, Meng WH, Su XC*. Pt(IV) complex selectively oxidizes alpha-synuclein methionine as disclosed by NMR. Inorg. Chem. Front. 2022, 10, 296-304

23. Su XC*, Zhang LY, Zhao LN, Pan BB, Chen BG, Chen JL, Zhai CL, Li B. Efficient protein-protein couplings mediated by small molecules under mild conditions. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2022, 61, e202205597

24. Chen JL, Li B, Ma B, Su XC*. Distinct stereospecific effect of chiral tether between a tag and protein on the rigidity of paramagnetic tag. J. Biomol. NMR 2022, 76, 107-119

25. Chen YT, Li B, Chen JL, Su XC*. Simultaneous discrimination and quantification of enantiomeric amino acids under physiological conditions by chiral ¹⁹F NMR tag. Anal. Chem. 2022, 94, 7853-7860.

26. Zhu W, Guseman AJ, Bhinderwala F, Lu M, Su XC, Gronenborn AM*. Visualizing proteins in mammalian cells by 19 F NMR spectroscopy. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2022, 61, e202201097.

27. Wu X, Ma F*, Pan BB, Zhang Y, Zhu L, Deng F, Xu L, Zhao Y, Yin X, Niu H, Su XC*, Shi L*. Tailoring a nanochaperone to regulate α-synuclein assembly. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2022, 61: e202200192

28. Cui CY, Li B, Cheng D, Li XY, Chen JL, Chen YT, Su XC*. Simultaneous quantification of biothiols and deciphering diverse GSH stability in different live cells by ¹⁹F-tag. Anal. Chem. 2022, 94, 901-908

29. Chen YT, Li B, Li XY, Chen JL, Cui CY, Hu K*, Su XC*. Simultaneous identification and quantification of amino acids in biofluids by reactive ¹⁹F-tags. Chem. Commun. 2021, 13154-13157

30. Ma B, Chen JL, Cui CY, Yang F, Gong YJ, Su XC.* Rigid, highly reactive and stable DOTA-like tags containing a thiol-specific phenylsulfonyl pyridine moiety for protein modification and NMR analysis. Chem. Eur. J. 2021, 17, 16145-16152

31. Chen JL, Chen BG, Li B, Yang F, Su XC*. Assessing multiple conformations of lanthanide binding tags for proteins using a sensitive ¹⁹F‐reporter. Chem. Commun. 2021, 4291‐4294

32. Chen JL, Li B, Li XY, Su XC*. Dynamic exchange of the metal chelating moiety: a key factor in determining the rigidity of protein‐tag conjugates in paramagnetic NMR. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2020, 11, 9493‐9500

33. Yang Y, Chen SN, Yang F, Li XY, Feintuch A, Su XC*, Goldfarb D*. In‐cell destabilization of a homodimeric protein complex detected by DEER spectroscopy. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA 2020, 117, 20566‐20575

34. Yang Y, Pan BB, Tan X, Yang F, Liu Y*, Su XC*, Goldfarb D*. In‐cell trityl‐trityl distance measurements on proteins. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2020, 11, 1141‐1147

35. Li M, Ning Y, Chen J, Duan X, Song N, Ding D*, Su X*, Yu Z*. Proline isomerization‐regulated tumor microenvironment‐adaptable self‐assembly of peptides for enhanced therapeutic efficacy. Nano. Lett. 2019, 19, 7965‐79768.

36. Chen JL, Wang X, Xiao YH, Su XC*. Resonance assignments of lowly populated and unstable enzyme intermediate complex under real‐time conditions. Chembiochem. 2019, 20, 2738‐2742.

37. Su XC*, Chen JL. Site‐specific tagging of proteins with paramagnetic ions for determination of protein structures in solution and in cells. Acc. Chem. Res. 2019, 52, 1675‐1686.

38. Pan BB, Yang Y, Liu HZ, Li YH, Su XC*. Coordination of platinum to α‐synuclein inhibits filamentous aggregation in solution. Chembiochem. 2019, 20, 1953‐1958.

39. Giannoulis A, Yang Y, Gong YJ, Tan X, Feintuch A, Carmieli R, Bahrenberg T, Liu Y*, Su XC*, Goldfarb D*. DEER distance measurements on trityl/trityl and Gd(iii)/trityl labelled proteins. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2019, 21, 10217‐10227

40. Yang Y, Yang F, Li XY, Su XC*, Goldfarb D*. In‐cell EPR distance measurements on ubiquitin labeled with a rigid PyMTA‐Gd(III) tag. J. Phys. Chem B. 2019, 123, 1050‐1059

41. Yang Y, Yang F, Gong YJ, Bahrenberg T, Feintuch A, Su XC*, Goldfarb D*. High sensitivity in‐cell EPR distance measurements on proteins using an optimized Gd(III) spin label. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2018, 9, 6119‐6123

42. Chen JL, Zhao Y, Gong YJ, Pan BB, Wang X, Su XC*. Stable and rigid DTPA‐like paramagnetic tags suitable for in vitro and in situ protein NMR analysis. J. Biomol. NMR 2018, 70, 77‐92.

43. Li X, Wu G, Yang Y, Fu S, Liu X, Kang H, Yang X*, Su XC*, Shen Y*. Calmodulin dissociates the STIM1‐Orial complex and STIM1 oligomers. Nat. Commun. 2017, 8, 1042.

44. Yang Y, Gong YJ, Litinov A, Liu HK, Yang F, Su XC*, Goldfarb D*. Generic Tags for Mn(II) and Gd(III) spin labels for distance measurements in proteins. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2017, 19, 26944‐26956.

45. Cao C, Wang S, Cui T, Su XC*, Chou J*. Ion and inhibitor binding of the double‐ring ion selectivity filter of the Mitochondrial calcium uniporter. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2017, 114, E2846‐E2851.

46. Yang Y, Yang F, Gong YJ, Chen Jl., Goldfarb D*, Su XC*. A reactive, rigid Gd(III) labelling tag for in‐cell EPR distance measurements in proteins. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2017, 56, 2914‐2918.

47. Ma FH, Wang X, Chen JL, Wen X, Sun H*, Su XC*. Deciphering the multisite interactions of a protein and its ligand at atomic resolution by using sensitive paramagnetic effects. Chem. Eur. J. 2017, 23, 926‐934.

48. Chen JL, Wang X, Yang F, Cao C, Otting G, Su XC*. 3D Structure determination of an unstable transient enzyme intermediate by paramagnetic NMR spectroscopy. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2016, 55, 13744‐13748.

49. Yang F, Wang X, Pan BB, Su XC*. Single‐armed phenylsulfonated pyridine derivative of DOTA is rigid and stable paramagnetic tag in protein analysis. Chem. Commun. 2016, 52, 11535‐11538.

50. Pan BB, Yang F, Ye Y, Wang JT, Li C*, Huber T*, Su XC*. Structural determination of proteins in living cells by paramagnetic NMR spectroscopy. Chem. Commun. 2016, 52, 10237‐10240.