9:00-9:05 Welcome
Autumn Marsden, Gulf Coast Consortia
Mehmet Sen, University of Houston
Convenor Mehmet Sen, University of Houston
9:05-9:50 Keynote Presentation
Soft-Physics Biology and How Physical Forces Shape Cell Fate and Function
Dennis Discher, University of Pennsylvania
Session I
9:50-10:15 Decoding Structural Polymorphism of Tau Amyloids in Disease
Lukasz Joamchimiak, UT Southwestern
10:15-10:40 Biomechanical Thrombus Profiling: A Multi-Cohort Study
Yunfeng Chen, UT Medical Branch, Galveston
10:40-11:10 Networking Break
Session II
Convenor Josephine Chu Ferreon, Baylor College of Medicine
11:10-11:35 Structural Insights into Brain Thyroid Hormone Transport by MCT8 and OATP1C1
Pengxinag Huang, Baylor College of Medicine
11:35-12:00 Engineered Peptides and RNAs Enable Enhanced CRISPR-Based Epigenetic Editing
Isaac Hilton, Rice University
12:00-12:35 Lightning Poster Talks
GPR174 Antagonism: Structure, Function, and Dynamics
Vijay Bhardwaj, Univ. of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Poster 2
Subcellular-Specific RNA Structural Remodeling Revealed by RAID-MaP
Ritwika Bose, Baylor College of Medicine, Poster 3
Characterizing the Molecular Features of an ALS Causing Kinesin-1 Mutant
Manuel Cubillos Acosta, Baylor College of Medicine, Poster 5
Mutational Analysis of Human Norovirus Vp2 Elucidates Critical Molecular Interactions for Virus Assembly
Janam Dave, Baylor College of Medicine, Poster 6
Investigating ADAR1 Regulatory Interactomes to Advance RNA Editing Therapeutics,
Mariam Elsharkawy, Rice University, Poster 7
Determining how Rigidity Sensing Impacts Genome Organization and Cell Fate Decisions
Anat Galis Vivante, UT Medical Branch, Poster 9
A Maximum Entropy Polymer Model Predicts the Architectural Effects of Genetic Structural Variations
Miles Gantcher, Rice University, Poster 10
Engineering Biomolecular Condensates for Precise Transcriptional and Epigenomic Control
Ruopu Jiao, Rice University, Poster 12
Role of Twinkle’s C-terminal Tail in Helicase-Polymerase Coupling during Mitochondrial DNA Replication
Chen-Yu Lo, Rice University, Poster 16
Modulation of FUS RRM Folding by Neighboring Disordered Regions
Kosar Rahimi, University of Houston, Poster 24
Engineering an RNA Origami-Based Aptamer Platform for RNA Therapeutics
Haoyun Yang, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Poster 30
Molecular Basis on the Role of Matrix Proteins in the Replication Cycle of Deltainfluenzavirus
Jieze (Jesse) Zhang, Rice University, Poster 32
12:35-2:30 Lunch and Posters, Event Hall
12:35-1:30 Lunch
1:30-2:30 Poster presentation
Convenor Ewan McRae, Houston Methodist Research Institute
2:30-2:40 Vendor presentation
From Stability to Binding: Enhancing Deeper Insights with NanoTemper
Nathan Wallace, Nano Temper
Trainee Presentations
2:40-2:55 Using Topographic Biomolecule Nanopatterning for Single-Molecule Protein/DNA Analysis
Viraj Ghosh, Rice University
2:55-3:10 Inflammatory Condensates – How Neurotoxic Peptides Modulate RNA-Mediated Innate Immune Activation
Paulo Onuchic, Baylor College of Medicine
3:10-3:25 Motor Transport and Ribosome Anchoring Kinetically Control Mitochondrial mRNA Localization
Surbhi Sharma, Baylor College of Medicine
3:25-3:45 Networking break
Session III
Convenor Ewan McRae, Houston Methodist Research Institute
3:45-4:10 Structure-Based Design of Selective and Biased Dopamine D2 and D3 receptors (D2R-D3R) Bitopic Agonists and Cellular Signaling Evaluation
Alessandro Bonifazi, UT Medica Branch, Galveston
Rising Star Plenary Speaker
4:10-4:45 Deciphering the Language of Transcriptional Condensates in Health and Disease
Ben Sabari, UT Southwestern
4:45-5:45 Closing remarks
Mehmet Sen, University of Houston
Reception-Prefunction area