In a human cell, around 20,000 different human proteins are known to be expressed. These proteins are not uniformly distributed throughout the cell, but they are located in highly specific targeted spaces and form a variety of microenvironments. To map localized protein information in a sub-cellular "space of interest", we develop a new protein mapping method based on compatible protein label chemistry in living cellular physiology. This new method called proximity labeling has the potential to uncover new protein components that are not mapped by traditional protein purification methods such as co-immunoprecipitation. This method can be extended to uncover spatiotemporal subcellular distribution of other biomolecules such as nucleic acids and metabolites in living cells and in live animals.

• Ph.D. Organic Chemistry, Seoul National University, Korea, 2009
• B.S. Biological Sciences and Chemistry (Double Major), Seoul National University, Korea, 2004

• Professor, SNU Chemistry, Korea, 2025-current
• Associate Professor, SNU Chemistry, Korea, 2018-2025
• Assistant/Associate Professor, UNIST Chemistry, Korea, 2013-2018
• Postdoctoral Researcher, MIT Chemistry, USA, 2010-2012

1. "Spray-Type Modifications: An Emerging Paradigm in Post-translational Modifications" Lee YB, Rhee HW* Trends Biochem. Sci. 2024, 49, 208-223
2. "Mitochondrial matrix RTN4IP1/OPA10 is an oxidoreductase for coenzyme Q synthesis" Park I†, Kim KE†, Kim J†, AK Kim, Bae S, Jung M, Choi J, Mishra PK, TM Kim, Kwak C, Kang MG, Yoo CM, Mun JY, Liu KH, Lee KS*, Kim JS*, Suh JM*, Rhee HW* Nat. Chem. Biol. 2024, 20, 221-233
3. "Mitochondrial thermogenesis can trigger heat-shock response in the nucleus" Kang MG† Kim HR†, Lee HY†, Kwak C, Koh H, Kang BH, Roe JS*, Rhee HW*, ACS Cent. Sci. 2024, 10, 1231-1241
4. "GEN-Click: Genetically Encodable Click Reactions for Spatially Restricted Metabolite Labeling" Mishra PK*, Sharma N, Kim H, Lee C, Rhee HW* ACS Cent. Sci. 2023, 9, 1650–1657
5. "Identification of compound-binding target proteins in live cells by proximity labeling (PROCID)," Kwak C†, Park C†, Ko M, Im CY, Moon H, Park YH, Kim SY, Lee S, Kang MG, Kwon HJ*, Hong E*, Seo JK*, Rhee HW* Cell Chem. Biol. 2022, 29, 1739-1753
6. “Contact-ID, a new tool for profiling organelle contact site, reveals regulatory proteins of mitochondrial-associated membrane formation” Kwak C†, Shin S†, Park JS†, Jung M, Nhung TTM, Kang MG, Lee C, Kwon TH, Park SK*, Mun JY*, Kim JS*, Rhee HW*, PNAS, 2020, 117, 12109-12120