On Barrier Height and Other Problems in RNA Branching

Explore the fundamental challenges of RNA folding and secondary structure prediction in this mathematical biology lecture from the Fields Institute's Workshop on Topological Data Analysis. Delve into the complex problem of understanding how RNA sequences fold into three-dimensional structures, a critical area of research with potential applications for treating neurodegenerative disorders. Examine the difficulties in correctly predicting RNA secondary structure branching, which represents a crucial molecular characteristic. Learn about cutting-edge results from enumerative, probabilistic, and geometric combinatorics that help characterize different types of branching landscapes in RNA structures. Discover how these mathematical approaches provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of RNA structure formation and the barriers that influence folding pathways. Gain understanding of how topological data analysis methods can be applied to molecular biology problems, particularly in analyzing the complex branching patterns that emerge in RNA secondary structures.