Prediction and design of nucleic acid secondary structure and folding pathways: from theory to tools

我的长期研究目标是为预测核酸（DNA和RNA分子）的功能和设计具有新功能的核酸提供有效的计算方法。预测方法对于希望更好地了解细胞RNA功能的生物学家来说是必不可少的，例如RNA在基因调控中的核心作用以及故障的原因。设计方法使科学家能够创造具有有用功能的新分子，例如，在疾病诊断和治疗中。我的研究特别旨在推进分子（DNA和RNA）编程的新生领域，这使得可扩展的通用分子设计成为可能，这些分子设计可以改变我们监测和介导细胞或其他微环境中分子动力学的方式。

My long-term research goals are to provide effective computational methods for predicting function of nucleic acids - DNA and RNA molecules - and for designing nucleic acids with novel functions. Prediction methods are essential to biologists who wish to better understand cellular RNA function, such as the central roles of RNA in gene regulation, and causes of malfunction. Design methods enable scientists to create new molecules with useful functions, e.g., in disease diagnosis and therapy. My research particularly aims to advance the nascent field of molecular (DNA and RNA) programming, which makes possible scalable, general-purpose molecular designs that could transform the ways in which we monitor and mediate molecular dynamics within the cell or other micro-environments.