Xiao Xie

2025 Regional Award Winner — Post-Doc

Xiao Xie

Current Position:
Associate Research Scholar

Institution:
Princeton University

Discipline:
Chemical Biology

Recognized for: Pioneering chemical biology tools to map protein phase separation and copper signaling, which uncover molecular mechanisms underlying cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.


Areas of Research Interest and Expertise:
Spatial Chemical Biology, Protein Chemistry, Protein Phase Separation, Metals in Biology

Previous Positions:

BSc, Wuhan University, China (Advisor: Xiang Zhou)
PhD, Peking University, China (Advisor: Peng R. Chen)
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, Berkeley (Advisor: Christopher J. Chang)
Postdoctoral Fellow, Princeton University (Advisor: Christopher J. Chang)

Research Summary:

Xiao Xie, PhD develops cutting-edge chemical biology tools to explore how cells organize themselves and regulate essential metal ions such as copper. Xie created innovative methods to investigate protein phase separation, a process cells use to form organized spaces without membranes, which is critical for gene control and stress responses. This work uncovered how disruptions in this process can lead to diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration. Xie also designed sensitive chemical probes to track copper in living cells and revealed how molecular signals regulate copper uptake, distribution, and removal. These discoveries provide new insights for disease research and therapeutic development.

“My work focuses on creating spatial chemical biology technologies to decipher the molecular codes underlying protein phase separation and metal signaling and their functional roles in physiology and disease. This award provides me with the motivation and confidence to continue exploring the frontiers of the interdisciplinary field spanning chemistry, biology, and medicine.”

Key Publications:

  1. X. Xie*, P.J. Moon*, S.W.M. Crossley, A.J. Bischoff, D. He, G. Li, N. Dao, A. GonzaleValero, A.G. Reeves, J.M. McKenna, S.K. Elledge, J.A. Wells, F.D. Toste, C.J. Chang. Oxidative Cyclization Reagents Reveal Tryptophan Cation-π Interactions. Nature, 2024. 
  2. K. Li*, X. Xie*, R. Gao*, Z. Chen, M. Yang, Z. Wen, Y. Weng, X. Fan, G. Zhang, L. Liu, X. Zeng, Y. Han, M. Cao, X. Wang, J. Li, Z. Yang, T. Li, P.R. Chen. Spatialtemporal Protein Interactome Profiling through Condensation-enhanced Photocrosslinking. Nature Chemistry, 2024.
  3. X. Xie, S. Lin. Targeting and Manipulating Tryptophan Interactions on Proteins. ACS Chemical Biology, 2024.

Other Honors:

2022 Berkeley Science Fellow – UC Berkeley
2020-2023 Tang Distinguished Fellowship – UC Berkeley
2018 National Scholarship, China
2017 National Scholarship, China

In the Media:

Website