Ho Fung Cheng

Assistant Professor of Organic Chemistry

Natural Science, Seaver College

Biography

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Edmund discovered his love for chemistry during secondary school and studied abroad at University of Oxford. After graduating with MChem (First Class Honors) in 2016, he pursued his PhD at Northwestern University with Prof. Chad Mirkin. For his contributions in DNA-mediated assembly and coordination chemistry, he was awarded Northwestern’s Ryan Fellowship and International Institute for Nanotechnology’s Outstanding Researcher Award. In 2022, he moved to MIT as a postdoc. Working under Prof. Jeremiah Johnson, he developed a new method for the ambient storage of DNA and DNA-based data in degradable polymer networks. His research and community efforts were recognized by MIT School of Science’s 2024 Infinite Expansion Award. He was also selected as MIT’s 2024 Mentor Advocate Partnership Rookie of the Year, for his work in supporting equity.

Edmund is passionate about mentoring students. He is excited to bring his experiences and skills in teaching and research to Pepperdine.

Education

PhD in Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2022
MChem, University of Oxford, 2016

Research
Awards
Presentations

Prince, E.‡; Cheng, H. F.‡; Banal, J. L.; Johnson, J. A. “Reversible nucleic acid storage in deconstructable glassy polymer networks”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 17066–17074. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.4c01925 (‡Co-first author.) This research was featured in https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/dna/Storing-DNA-amber-like-polymer/102/web/2024/06?sc=230901_cenrssfeed_eng_Materialsrss_cen, https://news.mit.edu/2024/scientists-preserve-dna-amber-polymer-0613, and https://phys.org/news/2024-06-scientists-dna-amber-polymer-method.html.
Cheng, H. F.‡; Distler, M. E.‡; Lee, B.; Zhou, W.; Weigand, S.; Mirkin C. A. “Nanoparticle Superlattices Through Template-Encoded DNA Dendrimers”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 17170–17179. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.1c07858. (‡Co-first author, graduate mentee underlined.)
Cheng, H. F.‡; Paul, M.‡; d’Aquino, A. I.; Stern, C. L.; Mirkin C. A. “Multi-State Dynamic Coordination Complexes Interconverted through Counterion-Controlled Phase Transfer”, Inorg. Chem. 2021, 60, 4755–4763. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.0c03708. (‡Co-first author, undergraduate mentee underlined.)
Cheng, H. F.‡; Wang, S.‡; Mirkin C. A. “Electron-Equivalent Valency through Molecularly Well-Defined Multivalent DNA”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 1752–1757. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.0c11843. (‡Co-first author.)
Cheng, H. F.; d’Aquino, A. I.; Barroso-Flores, J.; Mirkin, C. A. “A Redox-Switchable, Allosteric Coordination Complex”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 14590–14594. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.8b09321

Infinite Expansion Award, MIT School of Science, 2024
Mentor Advocate Partnership Rookie of the Year, MIT, 2024
International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN) Outstanding Researcher Award, 2021
Ryan Fellowship, Northwestern University, 2019–2021
First Class Honors in Chemistry, University of Oxford, 2016

The Storage and Release of DNA using Deconstructable, Hydrophobic Thermoset. Polymers Gordon Research Seminar (invited for oral presentation; June 4, 2023)
Nanoparticle Superlattices Through Template-Encoded DNA Dendrimers. Just Another (Chemistry) Webinar Series (invited for oral presentation; November 2, 2021).
Colloidal Crystal Engineering Using Electron Equivalents with Defined Valency. American Chemical Society (ACS) National Meeting (invited for oral presentation; April 13, 2021).
Allosteric Redox Regulation of Metal Coordination and Catalytic Activity. Self-Assembly and Supramolecular Chemistry Gordon Research Seminar (invited for oral presentation; May 19, 2019)

Topics

Oligomer and polymer synthesis
DNA chemical synthesis
DNA-mediated assembly
Micelles and polyplexes
Stimuli-responsive metal complexes

Courses

Chem 310, Organic Chemistry
Chem 310L, Organic Chemistry

Ho Fung Cheng

Biography

Education

Topics

Courses

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