Peking University, October 21, 2024: The 2025 EFMC-WuXi AppTec Award for Excellence in Chemical Biology by the European Federation for Medicinal Chemistry (EFMC) was awarded to Professor Chen Peng from Peking University’s (PKU) College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering on October 17, 2024, in recognition of his groundbreaking contributions to the field of live-cell chemistry.
According to the selection committee, Chen Peng’s work on developing bioorthogonal reactions has profoundly transformed the way scientists study protein activities and interactions within living systems. These advanced tools have enabled more precise investigations and have opened new avenues in chemical biology, driving both fundamental and applied research. The award ceremony will be held at the 2nd EFMC International Symposium on Chemical Biology in Basel, Switzerland in January 2025, during which the recipient will be invited to give a presentation.
Chen Peng is currently a Boya Distinguished Professor at PKU, the director of the Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, and a senior researcher at the PKU-Tsinghua University Center for Life Sciences. He put forward and developed "Bio-orthogonal Shear reaction," which promoted its innovative applications in life sciences and medical research. Chen's research has been highly valued and recognized internationally. He has won the second prize of the State Natural Science Award, the Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation for Science and Technology Progress Award, the XPLORER PRIZE and other honors. Chen was also part of the first batch of scientists selected by the New Cornerstone Investigator Program, a nonprofit funding initiative by Tencent.
