Barry Cohen, Computer Science Department, New Jersey Institute of Technology

RNA has been dubbed 'the Cheshire catalyst' because its role as a catalyst at the dawn of life has faded, while its role in coding for proteins has persisted. This talk presents computational approaches to the space of synonymous RNA molecules -- those which code for a given target protein. The aim is to shed light on the question whether evolution through natural selection, the familiar force which over the course of many generations shapes species and adapts them to their environment, also adapts and shapes RNA molecules? It also addresses associated questions of molecular design.

These studies illustrate how computation can shed light on evolutionary mechanisms at the molecular level, which have been at work for billions of years.

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The second and fourth images in the header are courtesy the BIODIDAC website.