Research Interests
I am a biophysicist in the BMSD program. I am interested in problems where computation and physics can applied to elucidate interactions between biomolecules. I am particularly interested in RNA and its roles in post-transcriptional regulation.
My project aims to redesign a protein-RNA interaction. I hope to create a motif based on the RNA recognition motif that targets a chosen RNA sequence. The ability to alter the specificity of RRM-like domains will serve as proof of understanding and will provide a foundation for building proteins for the targeted altenate splicing of pre-mRNA.
I have worked on writing a program to redesign a protein-nucleic acid interface. The program is based on a statistical potential developed in the Varani lab for the detection of correct protein-RNA complexes. Substitutions may be selectively performed and flexibility is implemented at the interface using a rotamer library. The program allows for the prediction of the relative propensity of an amino acid at each position.
The development of the potential is paralleled by the development of genetic selection experiments and NMR measurements. Comparison of computational predictions with experimental results will provide fair assessment of the potential and will help identify directions for improving the design program.