= Eric Westhof
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= E. Westhof
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\b[Eric Westhof] is a structural biochemist whose research concerns the architecture and molecular interactions of <RNA>. His institutionally hosted CV identifies work at Strasbourg's IBMC and a professorship in structural biochemistry.<Eric Westhof curriculum vitae at IBMC>[Professional cursus and institutional affiliation]{ref}
With <N. B. Leontis>, Westhof developed a geometric nomenclature for <RNA base-pair geometry>. The classification records the interacting <RNA base-pair edges> and the relative orientations of the two <glycosidic bonds>, allowing <noncanonical base pairs> to be described systematically.<Geometric nomenclature and classification of RNA base pairs by N. B. Leontis and E. Westhof>[Abstract, edge-based classification and cis/trans orientations]{ref}
An important distinction is between two kinds of orientation. The <glycosidic torsion angle> $\chi$ describes how one base rotates relative to its own sugar, giving <syn glycosidic conformation> or <anti glycosidic conformation>. The pair's cis/trans descriptor instead relates the two glycosidic bonds across the base-pair interaction. Reporting one descriptor does not automatically report the other.
A geometric family also leaves room for different base identities. The question of <RNA base-pair isostericity> is whether substitutions can preserve the relevant relative placement and shape sufficiently to support a similar structural role. This makes geometry useful when comparing homologous RNA structures even when their sequences differ.<Geometric nomenclature and classification of RNA base pairs by N. B. Leontis and E. Westhof>[Abstract, isosteric relationships and recurrent three-dimensional motifs]{ref}
Westhof's contribution helped connect structural observations with a reusable language for comparing RNA folds, rather than restricting descriptions to the familiar sequence letters or canonical base pairs.
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