Excited to share our latest work on poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR), an underexplored nucleic acid essential for DNA damage repair. We show that PAR is structurally distinct from RNA/DNA and exhibits unique ion-dependent properties.
@tienhungf91.bsky.social @narjournal.bsky.social
📄 doi.org/10.1093/nar/...

Spearheaded by a great postdoc in the lab Lipika, with some help from my first super star graduate student Peter. Feedback and comments are welcome.

Please check the paper for further analyses of its ion atmosphere and contrasting with RNA. This work opens a new research direction in the group where there are promising directions both parallel and cross-over with RNA and IDP. Exciting times ahead!

Despite its similar composition with RNA, we show that PAR is a completely different beast. Its structure and presumably function are governed mostly by the polymer length coupled with ion interactions (instead of sequence).

very happy that our first foray out of the world of proteins and nucleic acids just appeared on NAR. We develop a coarse-grained model for poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR, a close cousin of RNA that plays important role in DNA damage response). academic.oup.com/nar/article/...

My lab is looking for 1-2 PhD students for Fall 2026 to develop coarse-grained and statistical mechanical models to study RNA folding, ion–RNA interactions, and biomolecular phase separation. Join us for a virtual session, register here buffalo.zoom.us/meeting/regi... @ubuffalo.bsky.social

Excited to have this work published. With @trceklab.bsky.social we show that RNA structure impedes intermolecular base pairing in germ granule.

This finding suggests that RNA structures and dynamics have important effects on the ion cloud, which IS the RNA spatial fingerprint. Unstructured RNAs thus can play a role of a recruiter of molecular partners using long-ranged interactions, leaving stable interactions for folded domains.

Ca ions prefer to bind directly to phosphate without water mediation, while Mg ions bind to RNA fully hydrated. This means the Mg ion cloud is much more extended compared to Ca cloud.

RNA Structural Complexity Dictates Its Ion Atmosphere Electrostatic interactions mediated by surrounding ions critically influence RNA behavior, yet flexible RNAs remain underexplored. We performed molecular dynamics simulations to examine three RNAs acr...

Ecstatic to have our lab's first paper published on JPCL @pubs.acs.org. We showed the ion atmospheres of unstructured RNAs extend farther into solution compared to folded structures. pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

🚨 We’re looking for a curious mind to join our lab at the NIH!
Passionate about #RNA biology, #MachineLearning, and the #genomics of #aging?

Interested in a postdoc or a PhD research visit at NIH? Let’s connect.
📩 DM or email for details!

#Bioinformatics #AI #ComputationalBiology

Are you looking for a faculty job? We are hiring in my department at Roswell Park NOW. Contact me for details as I await the formal ad. (Please RT.)

Kudos to Hiranmay and Peter for spearheading it!

RNA structural complexity dictates its ion atmosphere Electrostatic interactions mediated by the surrounding ions govern virtually every facet of RNA behavior. Most studies have focused on rigid, well-folded motifs, leaving the structurally heteregeneous...

Excited to share our lab's preprint! We found that flexible RNAs have much broadened ion atmospheres than structured RNAs. This leads us to speculate the implications on molecular recognition and phase behavior. Please check full text for other interesting details www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

the word alert is in a purple circle ALT: the word alert is in a purple circle

ACTION ITEM-----ACTION ITEM

Implementation of Schedule F

This is what a lot of us have been worried about.

This allows for many civil service positions to replaced with political appointees. This could include NIH institute directors and even POs.

BUT THERE IS A COMMENT PERIOD...

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Internal budget document reveals extent of Trump’s proposed health cuts HHS would be asked to absorb a $40 billion cut, about one-third of its discretionary budget.

More from the Washington Post (and this one is a doozy) regarding the President's Budget. Note that this is an aspirational document and Congress has to act (or ignore it).

[Gift Link]

wapo.st/42gLz0Z

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We’re looking for fellow nerds to help us make disordered proteins druggable. Love #IDPs, #MD, #NMR, #AI, #DrugDiscovery, or #MassSpec? Let’s talk.
@bindresearch.org is hiring across the board: bindresearch.org/careers/
#compchem #compbio #NMRChat #TeamMassSpec #chemjobs @chemjobber.bsky.social

The current and proposed GOP plan for NIH reform lists agencies and dollars.

Text might be tiny, but here's the existing 27 vs. the proposed 15 institutes that will be left standing.

You'll probably see a number of resignations, re-assignments, and the whole thing will be administered by political appointees who will oversee funding & policy.

Confirmation!!

And including open sessions!