Quan Wang

Stadtman Investigator, Section of Nanoscale Single-Molecule Dynamics, Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Research Topics

We are currently developing new and improved methods that expand the capability of single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy in solution. Building on a platform technology known as anti-Brownian Electrokinetic (ABEL) trapping to control a single biomolecule in solution, we simultaneously measure single-molecular size, charge (Nat. Methods 11, 555) and conformations (Nat. Methods 18, 816), together with their time-dependent dynamics in real time. These capabilities provide rich quantitative information on the oligomerization, phosphorylation and structural states and state transitions on a single biomolecule, and serve as a unique observation window into a wide range of biological processes.

Many scientific topics are being studied using our advanced single-molecule techniques, including nucleotide-dependent assembly/disassembly dynamics of multimeric enzymes, conformation change upon complex formation, biophysical impact of phosphorylation, dilute-phase molecular organization of biological liquid condensates. We gain biophysical insights by directly monitoring these processes at the single-molecule level, which has many advantages compared to traditional ensemble-level assays.

We are always looking for enthusiastic and motivated people. Learn about open positions in our lab at the postdoc, graduate student, and postbac levels.

Biography

  • Lewis-Sigler Experimental Fellow, Princeton University, 2016-2021
  • Ph.D., Stanford University, 2015
  • M.S., University of New Mexico, 2007
  • B.S., University of Science and Technology of China, 2005

Selected Publications

  1. Wilson H, Wang Q. ABEL-FRET: tether-free single-molecule FRET with hydrodynamic profiling. Nat Methods. 2021;18(7):816-820.

  2. Wilson H, Wang Q. Joint Detection of Change Points in Multichannel Single-Molecule Measurements. J Phys Chem B. 2021;125(49):13425-13435.

  3. Squires AH, Wang Q, Dahlberg PD, Moerner WE. A bottom-up perspective on photodynamics and photoprotection in light-harvesting complexes using anti-Brownian trapping. J Chem Phys. 2022;156(7):070901.

  4. He G, GrandPre T, Wilson H, Zhang Y, Jonikas MC, Wingreen NS, Wang Q. Phase-separating pyrenoid proteins form complexes in the dilute phase. Commun Biol. 2023;6(1):19.

  5. Wang Q. Electrokinetic Detection of Single-Molecule Phosphorylation. J Am Chem Soc. 2025;147(25):21308-21312.