{"691850":{"#nid":"691850","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Proposal by Ngoc Phuong Dung Ho","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EQuantitative Biosciences Thesis Proposal\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENgoc Phuong Dung Ho\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdvisor: Advisor: James C. Gumbart (School of Physics)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOpen to the Community\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAcross Scales of Regulation: Decoding How Small Molecules Reshape Protein Dynamics, Assembly, and Phase Separation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ETuesday, September 1, 2026, at 2:00 pm\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowey Physics Building, Room W401\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommittee Members:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJeffrey Skolnick (School of Biological Sciences)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAndrew McShan (School of Chemistry and Biochemistry)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENael A. McCarty (Emory University)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAbstract:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESmall molecules modulate essential biological processes across diverse spatial and temporal scales, from regulating intramolecular channel gating to remodeling dynamic oligomeric interfaces and dictating the mesoscale material properties of biomolecular condensates. Although structural biology has resolved numerous therapeutic binding pockets, static structures alone cannot explain how ligand binding alters the dynamic conformational ensembles that govern functional outcomes. This thesis establishes an integrated computational and biophysical framework which combines all-atom molecular dynamics, machine-learning-assisted conformational sampling, coarse-grained modeling, and experimental validation to decode small-molecule regulation across distinct biological hierarchies. By elucidating potentiator-driven gating in cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) channels, targeting transient dimer interfaces in tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-\u03b1), and resolving drug-induced single-chain collapse in fused in sarcoma (FUS) condensates, this work connects atomistic conformational shifts to emergent mesoscale organization, providing rational principles to accelerate targeted therapeutic discovery.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAcross Scales of Regulation: Decoding How Small Molecules Reshape Protein Dynamics, Assembly, and Phase Separation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Across Scales of Regulation: Decoding How Small Molecules Reshape Protein Dynamics, Assembly, and Phase Separation"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2026-08-21 14:14:26","changed_gmt":"2026-08-21 14:33:13","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-09-01T14:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2026-09-01T16:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-09-01T16:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-09-01 18:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-09-01 20:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-09-01 20:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"Howey Physics Building, Room W401","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"102851","name":"Phd proposal"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}