World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!

D-Index & Metrics

Chemistry

D-Index
62
Citations
10574
World Ranking
9058
National Ranking
2560

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2012 - Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
  • 2011 - Fellow of American Physical Society (APS) Citation For his pioneering contributions to the field of protein folding, in particular the innovative use of infrared spectroscopy and the novel development of vibrational probes to elucidate the fundamental folding mechanism

Overview

Feng Gai is affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania in the United States and works primarily in the field of Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology. Their research spans a variety of subfields including Materials Chemistry, Molecular Biology, Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, Atomic and Molecular Physics and Optics, as well as Biophysics.

Their recent published papers highlight ongoing work related to advances in fluorescent amino acids and spectroscopy. Notable publications include:

  • Unnatural Amino Acids for Biological Spectroscopy and Microscopy, 2024, Chemical Reviews
  • Tryptophan as a Template for Development of Visible Fluorescent Amino Acids, 2021, The Journal of Physical Chemistry B
  • Photoenhancement of the C≡N Stretching Vibration Intensity of Aromatic Nitriles, 2022, The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
  • Tuning the electronic transition energy of indole via substitution: application to identify tryptophan-based chromophores that absorb and emit visible light, 2021, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
  • Synthesis and characterization of the fluorescence utility of two Visible-Light-Absorbing tryptophan derivatives, 2022, Chemical Physics Letters

These papers reflect a focus on luminescence and fluorescent materials, photoreceptor and optogenetics research, spectroscopy and quantum chemical studies, advanced fluorescence microscopy techniques, photochemistry and electron transfer studies, click chemistry and applications, and molecular junctions and nanostructures.

Feng Gai has frequently published in several prominent journals, with multiple publications in:

  • The Journal of Physical Chemistry B (6 publications)
  • The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters (4 publications)
  • Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics (3 publications)
  • The Journal of Chemical Physics (2 publications)
  • Chemical Science (2 publications)

Collaborative work is a significant part of their research output, with frequent coauthors including Wenkai Zhang, Ranran Feng, Arusha Acharyya, Bo Zhuang, and Manxi Wang.

The scientist's recognized fields of study and research topics emphasize interdisciplinary approaches, integrating molecular biology with advanced chemical and physical methods to investigate biological spectroscopic phenomena.

Feng Gai has been awarded fellowships from major scientific organizations:

  • Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 2012
  • Fellow of American Physical Society (APS), 2011, for pioneering contributions to protein folding using infrared spectroscopy and the development of vibrational probes to elucidate folding mechanisms

Best Publications

  • Using Nitrile-Derivatized Amino Acids as Infrared Probes of Local Environment

    Zelleka Getahun;Cheng-Yen Huang;Ting Wang;Brenda De León

  • Chemical dynamics in proteins : The photoisomerization of retinal in bacteriorhodopsin

    Feng Gai;K. C. Hasson;J. Cooper McDonald;Philip A. Anfinrud

  • Helix formation via conformation diffusion search.

    Cheng-Yen Huang;Zelleka Getahun;Yongjin Zhu;Jason W. Klemke

  • Microscopic insights into the protein-stabilizing effect of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO).

    Jianqiang Ma;Ileana M. Pazos;Feng Gai

  • Understanding the key factors that control the rate of β-hairpin folding

    Deguo Du;Yongjin Zhu;Cheng-Yen Huang;Feng Gai

  • INFRARED STUDIES OF FAST EVENTS IN PROTEIN FOLDING

    R. Brian Dyer;R. Brian Dyer;Feng Gai;Feng Gai;Feng Gai;William H. Woodruff;Rudolf Gilmanshin

  • The photoisomerization of retinal in bacteriorhodopsin: Experimental evidence for a three-state model

    K. C. Hasson;Feng Gai;Philip A. Anfinrud

  • Trp zipper folding kinetics by molecular dynamics and temperature-jump spectroscopy

    Christopher D. Snow;Linlin Qiu;Deguo Du;Feng Gai

  • Ultrafast folding of α3D: A de novo designed three-helix bundle protein

    Yongjin Zhu;Darwin O. V. Alonso;Kosuke Maki;Cheng-Yen Huang

  • Site-Specific Infrared Probes of Proteins

    Jianqiang Ma;Ileana M. Pazos;Wenkai Zhang;Robert M. Culik

  • Cholesterol-dependent phase separation in cell-derived giant plasma-membrane vesicles

    Ilya Levental;Fitzroy J. Byfield;Pramit Kumar Chowdhury;Feng Gai

  • Temperature-dependent helix-coil transition of an alanine based peptide.

    Cheng-Yen Huang;Jason W. Klemke;Zelleka Getahun;William F. DeGrado

  • Fluorescent species of 7-azaindole and 7-azatryptophan in water

    Y. Chen;R. L. Rich;F. Gai;Jacob W. Petrich

  • Site-Specific Spectroscopic Reporters of the Local Electric Field, Hydration, Structure, and Dynamics of Biomolecules.

    Matthias M. Waegele;Robert M. Culik;Feng Gai

  • Protein folding and unfolding on a complex energy landscape.

    Daan Thorn Leeson;Feng Gai;Hector M. Rodriguez;Lydia M. Gregoret

  • Solvation of 7-azaindole in alcohols and water : evidence for concerted, excited-state, double-proton transfer in alcohols

    Y. Chen;F. Gai;Jacob W. Petrich

  • Divalent cation-induced cluster formation by polyphosphoinositides in model membranes

    Yu Hsiu Wang;Agnieszka Collins;Lin Guo;Kathryn B. Smith-Dupont

  • Understanding the Mechanism of β-Hairpin Folding via φ-Value Analysis†

    Deguo Du;Matthew J Tucker;Feng Gai

  • Blue fluorescent amino acid for biological spectroscopy and microscopy

    Mary Rose Hilaire;Ismail A. Ahmed;Chun-Wei Lin;Hyunil Jo

  • Time-resolved infrared study of the helix-coil transition using (13)C-labeled helical peptides.

    Cheng-Yen Huang;Zelleka Getahun;Ting Wang;William F. Degrado

  • Effect of Macromolecular Crowding on Protein Folding Dynamics at the Secondary Structure Level

    Smita Mukherjee;Matthias M. Waegele;Pramit Chowdhury;Lin Guo

Frequent Co-Authors

William F. DeGrado
William F. DeGrado University of California, San Francisco
Jacob W. Petrich
Jacob W. Petrich Iowa State University
Weiya Zhang
Weiya Zhang University of Nottingham
Jeffery G. Saven
Jeffery G. Saven University of Pennsylvania
Amos B. Smith
Amos B. Smith University of Pennsylvania
R. Brian Dyer
R. Brian Dyer Emory University
Yi Qin Gao
Yi Qin Gao Peking University
Joel S. Bennett
Joel S. Bennett University of Pennsylvania
Paul A. Janmey
Paul A. Janmey University of Pennsylvania
Barry S. Cooperman
Barry S. Cooperman University of Pennsylvania

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