The chemical structure of DNA contains information that dictates the observed spatial arrangements of base pairs within the double helix and the susceptibilities of different base sequences to interactions with proteins and other molecules. Our group has been developing software to analyze the spatial and energetic codes within known DNA structures and using these data in computational studies of larger nucleic acid systems. The observed behavior can be incorporated in computational treatments to improve our understanding of macromolecular systems in which DNA sequence and protein binding play important roles. While there are now myriad high-resolution structures detailing the precise location of every atom within a ribosome, the RNA displays a bewildering complexity that overwhelms our abilities to comprehend its three-dimensional organization. Our group has begun to attack this problem by taking advantage of the multi-scale structural information collected with in-house software designed to streamline the analysis and annotation of RNA structures. The results serve as a starting point for multi-scale investigations of RNA folding, including the connections between different modes of base pairing and various 3D structural motifs.
Program Faculty
- Wilma K. Olson
- Professor
- Department: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
- Graduate Program(s): Biochemistry | Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
- Major Research Interest(s): Chromosome Biology, Computational Biology, Gene regulation, RNA / ribosome biology, Structural Biology
- Research Techniques: Bioinformatics / Computational, Biophysics
- Phone: 1.8484453993
- Email:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - School of Arts and Sciences
- Wright Rieman Laboratories, Room A209
- 610 Taylor Road
- Piscataway, NJ 08854-8066
- Key Words: Nucleic acids, conformation, properties, interactions, simulations, software
- Lab Site URL