PEGylation is commonly employed to enhance the pharmacokinetic properties of proteins, but it can interfere with natural protein function. Protein activity can thus be abrogated through PEGylation, and a controllable means to remove the polyethylene glycol (PEG) group from the protein is desirable. As such, light affords a unique control over biomolecules through the application of photosensitive groups. Herein, we report the synthesis of a photocleavable PEG reagent (PhotoPEG) and its application to the light-regulation of enzyme activity.