Related papers: Statistical-physics approaches to RNA molecules, f…
Motivation: DNA data is transcribed into single-stranded RNA, which folds into specific molecular structures. In this paper we pose the question to what extent sequence- and structure-information correlate. We view this correlation as…
The molecular biology revolution of the last seventy five years has transformed our view of living systems. Scientific explanations of biological phenomena are now synonymous with the identification of the genes, proteins, and signaling…
RNA function crucially depends on its structure. Thermodynamic models currently used for secondary structure prediction rely on computing the partition function of folding ensembles, and can thus estimate minimum free-energy structures and…
Accurate prediction of RNA properties, such as stability and interactions, is crucial for advancing our understanding of biological processes and developing RNA-based therapeutics. RNA structures can be represented as 1D sequences, 2D…
RNA function is tied to secondary structure, operating through dynamic and heterogeneous structural ensembles. While current analysis tools typically output single static structures or averaged contact maps, chemical probing methods like…
In the course of evolution, proteins undergo important changes in their amino acid sequences, while their three-dimensional folded structure and their biological function remain remarkably conserved. Thanks to modern sequencing techniques,…
An RNA molecule is structured on several layers. The primary and most obvious structure is its sequence of bases, i.e. a word over the alphabet {A,C,G,U}. The higher structure is a set of one-to-one base-pairings resulting in a…
We construct a minimalist model of RNA secondary-structure formation and use it to study the mapping from sequence to structure. There are strong, qualitative differences between two-letter and four or six-letter alphabets. With only two…
Using force as a probe to map the folding landscapes of RNA molecules has become a reality thanks to major advances in single molecule pulling experiments. Although the unfolding pathways under tension are complicated to predict studies in…
The statistical mechanics of heteropolymer structure formation is studied in the context of RNA secondary structures. A designed RNA sequence biased energetically towards a particular native structure (a hairpin) is used to study the…
RNA function is deeply intertwined with its conformational dynamics. In this review, we survey recent advances in the use of atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to characterize RNA dynamics in diverse contexts, including isolated…
RNA folding is a kinetic process governed by the competition of a large number of structures stabilized by the transient formation of base pairs that may induce complex folding pathways and the formation of misfolded structures. Despite of…
Formation of base pairs between the nucleotides of an RNA sequence gives rise to a complex and often highly branched RNA structure. While numerous studies have demonstrated the functional importance of the high degree of RNA branching --…
We modify and extend the recently developed statistical mechanical model for predicting the thermodynamic properties of chain molecules having noncovalent double-stranded conformations, as in RNA or ssDNA, and $\beta-$sheets in protein, by…
We present a statistical mechanics approach to the protein folding problem. We first review some of the basic properties of proteins, and introduce some physical models to describe their thermodynamics. These models rely on a random…
Network science has become an essential interdisciplinary tool for understanding complex biological systems. However, because these systems undergo continuous, often stimulus-driven changes in both structure and function, traditional static…
This chapter discusses the interplay between structure and dynamics in complex networks. Given a particular network with an endowed dynamics, our goal is to find partitions aligned with the dynamical process acting on top of the network. We…
Four chapters of the synthesis represent four major areas of my research interests: 1) data analysis in molecular biology, 2) mathematical modeling of biological networks, 3) genome evolution, and 4) cancer systems biology. The first…
Due to the hierarchical organization of RNA structures and their pivotal roles in fulfilling RNA functions, the formation of RNA secondary structure critically influences many biological processes and has thus been a crucial research topic.…
Network meta-analysis (NMA) is a technique used in medical statistics to combine evidence from multiple medical trials. NMA defines an inference and information processing problem on a network of treatment options and trials connecting the…