RNA processing and degradation

Every living cell must constantly adjust which genes it switches on or off to survive a sudden temperature spike, a viral invasion, or a developmental cue—and this project will map the molecular machinery that makes those split-second decisions possible. The problem is that scientists still do not fully understand how cells manage the torrent of RNA molecules they produce, or how they rapidly dismantle and rebuild their gene-expression systems when conditions change. This gap matters because when RNA processing goes wrong, it contributes to developmental disorders, viral disease, and cancer. The researchers have already developed biochemical tools to catch RNA molecules and their protein partners in the act of being processed. They will now apply these tools—alongside computational analysis and real-time kinetic measurements—to four specific questions: how newly made RNA triggers its own termination, how cells reshuffle RNA metabolism under stress, how coronavirus hijacks host RNA systems, and what roles non-coding RNAs play in building a healthy brain. This is fundamental science. There is no immediate clinical or commercial application. But RNA biology is deeply conserved across evolution, so insights from yeast will transfer to human cells. Past work in this field has already produced mRNA vaccines and gene-silencing therapies; a clearer picture of RNA dynamics could underpin future treatments for infection, neurodegeneration, and cancer.