Dmitri Ermolenko awarded NIH MIRA Award
Wednesday, February 23, 2022
Congratulations to Dmitri Ermolenko on receiving prestigious NIH R35 MIRA (Maximizing Investigators' Research Award) grant. The goal of MIRA is to increase the efficiency of NIGMS funding by providing highly talented and promising investigators with greater stability and flexibility, thereby enhancing scientific productivity and the chances for important breakthroughs. The Ermolenko lab will use MIRA funding to investigate molecular mechanisms of translation by studying structural dynamics of the ribosome, and the role of mRNA secondary structure in translation regulation.
Ermolenko and Mathews groups publish in Nature Communications
Wednesday, February 23, 2022
A new study by the Ermolenko and Mathews groups, which is out in Nature Communications https://nature.com/articles/s41467-022-28600-5, shows that contrary to prevailing dogma, specific length and structure, rather than high stability, enable regulatory mRNA stem-loops to pause translation. This work was led by a talented BMB PhD student Chen Bao.
Congratulations to Chen and colleagues!
Convince us why your favorite RNA or RNA-binding protein is worthy of our admiration
Friday, January 28, 2022
Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics Seminar Series Participants,
Thank you to those who participated in and/or viewed the UR Center for RNA Biology’s RNA Presentations on Jan 12th and 26th, sponsored by the RNA Society, Lexogen, and the UR Center for RNA Biology. The judging committee was impressed with the quality of the abstracts submitted and the selected presentations given by UR graduate students and research staff with the prompt: “Convince us why your favorite RNA or RNA-binding protein is worthy of our admiration”.
Each of the oral presenters, who were chosen based on their quality of their abstracts, will be receiving a one-year membership to the RNA Society. Three presenters will also receive prize funds of $300 each.
The three presenters to be awarded a one-year membership to the RNA Society and $300 ea., in alphabetical order, are:
Xueyang He (presented Jan 12th ) - Biophysics Grad Student, Boutz Lab, Biochemistry & Biophysics
“Modeling the effects of cancer-associated spliceosome mutations and identifying driving intronic features using deep-learning neural networks”
Adrián Moisés Molina Vargas (presented Jan 26th) - Genetics Graduate Student, O'Connell Lab (Biochemistry & Biophysics), Biomedical Genetics
“From prokaryote immunity to the newest RNA targeting tool. Unveiling the nature and opportunities of the Cas13 CRISPR RNA-nuclease”
Li Xie (presented Jan 26th) - Genetics Graduate Student, Pröschel Lab, Biomedical Genetics
“Deciphering eIF2B deficiencies in a neurodegenerative disorder”
Honorable mention presenter to receive a one-year membership to the RNA Society
Perinthottathil Sreejith, PhD (presented Jan 12th ) - Staff Scientist, Bharadwaj Lab, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, who presented on his previous work as a Postdoc in the Biteau Lab in Biomedical Genetics
“Imp interacts with Lin28 to regulate adult stem cell proliferation in the Drosophila intestine”
Again, thank you all for contributing to make our contest interesting and exciting.
Liz - On behalf of Lynne Maquat, PhD (Director, UR Center for RNA Biology)
Read More: Convince us why your favorite RNA or RNA-binding protein is worthy of our admirationDepartment of Biochemistry and Biophysics Annual Toy Drive
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
The Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics held its annual toy drive this season to collect toys and items for the Golisano Children's Hospital. Dr. Alan Grossfield delivered a cart full of goodies to the Golisano Children's hospital on Thursday, December 16th along with graduate student, Emily Robinson, and staff accountant, Amy Roman. The gifts are given to the children in the hospital during the holiday season. Any remaining gifts are used to support the needs of the children and playrooms throughout the year.
Read the thank you letter.
In the Pocket: RNA Binding Discovery Supports ‘RNA World’ Theory of Early Life on Earth
Friday, January 14, 2022
RNA biologists at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) have discovered that RNA, the chemical cousin of DNA, can bind two metabolites (small molecules) at the same time in a single binding pocket, causing those molecules to interact. This discovery, published in Nature Communications this week, could lead to new antibacterial drugs while helping to fill a gap in the controversial “RNA world” theory, which suggests that RNA molecules enabled life to evolve on Earth 3.5 billion years ago.
Read More: In the Pocket: RNA Binding Discovery Supports ‘RNA World’ Theory of Early Life on Earth