Zhiyuan Ruan

Zhiyuan's work focused on developing synthetic polymers capable of replicating protein functions while maintaining stability and compatibility with device fabrication and integration. Random heteropolymers (RHPs), which lack specificity in sequence and structure, can be designed to mimic proteins for bioremediation and proton transportation. Achieving protein-like behaviors in RHPs deviates from the established "sequence-structure-function" relationship commonly observed in proteins. In this context, he studied the phase behavior of RHPs at the single-chain level using the optical tweezer technique. The goal is to understand the effect of sequence heterogeneity on RHP solution behaviors at the nanoscale. This in-depth characterization is crucial for understanding the design principles of protein-like RHPs that can regulate energy conversion and flow.