Dr. Peter Qin

Biography

Prof. Qin received his B.S. in Physics from Peking University in Beijing, China, and completed his Ph.D. in Biophysics at Columbia University in New York, NY. After postdoctoral training at UCLA, he began his independent career at the University of Southern California (USC) Department of Chemistry in 2002, eventually rising to the rank of Full Professor. His research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of specific nucleic acid recognition and how this knowledge can inform developments in genome engineering and diagnostics. Prof. Qin's work includes the development and application of a biophysical method known as Site-Directed Spin Labeling, which is used to monitor the structural dynamics of nucleic acids and protein-nucleic acid complexes under physiological conditions. His current research projects investigate the mechanisms of DNA recognition by programmable CRISPR nucleases aimed at genome engineering, as well as the development of spin-labeling approaches for molecular characterization in diagnostics.

Research Interests

Experience