Unlike folded proteins, intrinsically disordered proteins lack a well-defined three-dimensional structure. This makes them difficult to target for therapeutic intervention. Jhullian Alston wants to understand how these dynamic proteins interact with DNA and other proteins. He investigates their roles in transcriptional regulation and cancer using a combination of single-molecule techniques and computational biophysics. By understanding how function is encoded into disordered protein sequences, he seeks to develop new strategies to target previously undruggable proteins.