= Roger M. Wartell
{c}
\b[Roger M. Wartell] is a <biophysicist> whose research connects nucleic-acid structure with physical measurements of folding and association. His Georgia Tech profile traces his training through physics degrees at Stevens and Rochester and identifies research on <DNA melting>, <RNA-binding proteins> and small <RNA> molecules in ice.<Roger Wartell profile at Georgia Tech>[Biographical summary and research interests; linked CV, education and fields of interest]{ref}
With <Xueguang Sun> and <J. Michael Li>, Wartell investigated a stable <RNA hairpin> that could form a metastable <RNA dimer> in frozen solution. Their study combined <gel electrophoresis>, <sedimentation equilibrium> and temperature-dependent <absorbance> to distinguish structures and their interconversion.<Conversion of stable RNA hairpin to a metastable dimer in frozen solution by Xueguang Sun and others>[Abstract; Materials and Methods, sedimentation equilibrium and UV absorbance melting curves]{ref}
The scientific issue is broader than the existence of two gel bands. A band's <electrophoretic mobility> depends on molecular shape and experimental conditions as well as size. Independent measurements of association and thermal response help test whether the bands represent two folds of one strand or complexes containing different numbers of strands. Wartell's work illustrates how complementary physical measurements can constrain an otherwise ambiguous structural interpretation.
Back to article page
