Heyang Zhang

Molecular origins of heterogeneous aging and spatial organization in RNA condensates

This study uses molecular simulations to show how RNA sequence patterns drive aging and spatial organization in biomolecular condensates, revealing structural changes that lead to dynamic arrest.

Temperature-Dependent Ion Migration Underlies Sequence-Specific Collapse of Unstructured RNA

This paper uses simulations to show how temperature and ions affect RNA structure, revealing a non-monotonic temperature dependence of RNA compaction driven by ion binding changes.

Why PAR is not RNA: ion atmospheres, bridging interactions, and ion-induced structural collapse

This study develops a coarse-grained model of PAR and uses molecular dynamics to show PAR undergoes stronger structural transitions than RNA in response to divalent ions due to preferential ion binding and bridging.