Vision: The Yan Lab aims to advance fundamental knowledge on biopolymer behaviors at aqueous interfaces. Through this understanding, we seek to uncover how biopolymers interact with various surfaces in aqueous environments, driving innovation in biotechnology solutions.
Mission: We develop chiral-selective vibrational sum frequency generation spectroscopy (chiral SFG) to probe proteins, DNA, and RNA at various aqueous interfaces. By integrating chiral SFG experiments with theoretical modeling, we reveal how asymmetric environments unique to interfaces modulate hydration and thereby the structures of these biopolymers, providing a deeper molecular understanding of biological functions at aqueous interfaces.
Impacts: Our work has implications for addressing research challenges in both fundamental and engineering sciences, such as understanding protein folding into cell membranes, correlating dehydration and DNA folding, improving formulations for protein therapeutics, and designing biomaterials, drug delivery systems, and biosensors to enhance disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.