About Us

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Welcome to the Duan Lab at The Chinese University of Hong Kong! We are a passionate, interdisciplinary team working at the interface of chemistry, cell biology, biophysics, and synthetic biology to decode and reprogram complex biological systems. Our researchers - with diverse backgrounds spanning chemistry, biology, engineering, and medicine - develop innovative tools to achieve precise, real-time control of cellular processes. By harnessing cutting-edge optogenetic and chemogenetic technologies, we pioneer strategies with unparalleled specificity and spatiotemporal resolution to investigate and control signaling pathways and organelle activities. We aim to leverage these approaches to both uncover fundamental biological mechanisms and discover exciting new phenomena, while developing innovative applications in next-generation gene and cell-based therapies.

2025.2 @ Lung Ha Wan

Hiking and seafood at Sai Kung

ChemoRevolution Conference 

2024.12 @ Sanya

Our work on Developmental Cell journal cover

Opto-robotic hands pulls the endoplasmic reticulum in living cells

2024.1 @ Tai Mei Tuk

Biking, Ice cream,  Boating, and BBQ

OptoRevolution Conference 

2023.11 @ Sanya

2023 group hiking

Standing on Dragon's Back

2023.1

Our paper on light-inducible deformation of mitochondria is now available on Cell Chemical Biology

We can use light to stretch mitochondria in living cells.

2021.06

Our Opto-TrkB work is accepted by Journal of Molecular Biology!

Congratulations to all the authors!

2020.05

2019 Christmas group gathering.

We enjoyed the hot pot!

2019.12