CONTACT INFORMATIONCREDENTIALSPATENTSPUBLICATIONSYi-Tao Yu, Ph.D.Contact InformationPhone NumbersOffice: (585) 275-1271Fax: (585) 271-2683Research LabsVisit Lab WebsiteLocationsUniversity of Rochester Medical CenterSchool of Medicine and Dentistry601 Elmwood Ave, Box 712Rochester, NY 14642Faculty AppointmentsProfessor - Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (SMD) Dean's Professorship - Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (SMD) BiographyResearchOur long-range goal is to elucidate the underlying biological principles and functional roles of posttranscriptional RNA modifications. Currently, we are particularly interested in 2'-O-methylation and pseudouridylation in three different types of RNA, including the spliceosomal snRNA involved in pre-mRNA splicing, the telomerase RNA required for telomere length maintenance, and the messenger RNA that encodes a chemical "blueprint" for the production of a protein. Our recent research has demonstrated that all these three types of RNA can be modified in vivo, either naturally or artificially through the RNA-guided RNA modification mechanisms. Importantly, our experimental data indicate that the posttranscriptional nucleotide modifications contribute significantly to RNA functions. We are currently carrying out three projects, aiming to address some of the fundamental questions regarding RNA modifications.CredentialsEducation1982BS | Fudan UniversityChemistry1988MS | Shanghai Institute of Physiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesNeurobiology1994PhD | Case Western Reserve UniversityMolecular Biology1995-1999Post-doctoral training | Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, HHMI, Yale University School of MedicineMolecular BiologyPatentsPatent Title: Targeted Pre-mRNA/mRNA Modification and Gene Regulation Patent #: 9,238,813 Issue Date: Jan 19, 2016 Country: United States Invented By: Yi-Tao Yu, Xinliang ZhaoPatent Title: Targeted 2'-O-Methylation of Telomerase Non-Coding RNA Patent #: 9,273,294 Issue Date: Mar 01, 2016 Country: United States Invented By: Chao Huang, Yi-Tao YuPatent Title: Nonsense Suppression and Genetic Codon Alteration by Targeted Modification Patent #: 8,603,457 Issue Date: Dec 10, 2013 Country: United States Invented By: Yi-Tao Yu, Xinliang ZhaoVIEW ALL expand_morePublicationsJournal Articles5/14/2021Adachi H, Hengesbach M, Yu YT, Morais P. "From Antisense RNA to RNA Modification: Therapeutic Potential of RNA-Based Technologies." Biomedicines.. 2021 May 14; 9(5)Epub 2021 May 14. 2021Morais P, Adachi H, Yu YT. "Spliceosomal snRNA Epitranscriptomics." Frontiers in genetics.. 2021 12:652129. Epub 2021 Mar 02. 2021Morais P, Adachi H, Yu YT. "The Critical Contribution of Pseudouridine to mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines." Frontiers in cell and developmental biology.. 2021 9:789427. Epub 2021 Nov 04. Books & Chapters2009 Chapter Title: Spliceosomal snRNA pseudouridylation Book Title: DNA and RNA Modification Enzymes: Structure, Mechanism, Function and Evolution Author List: Karijolich, J., Huang, C. and Yu, Y.-T. Edited By: H. Grosjean Published By: Landes Bioscience 2009 in Austin, Texas2008 Chapter Title: Functional roles of spliceosomal snRNA modifications in pre-mRNA splicing Book Title: RNA and DNA Editing: Molecular Mechanisms and Their Integration into Biological Author List: Stephenson, D., Karijolich, J. and Yu, Y.-T. Edited By: H. Smith Published By: John Wiley & Sons Press 2008 in Hoboken, New JerseyVIEW ALL PUBLICATIONSClose WindowSchedule an appointment with Yi-Tao Yu, Ph.D.Please answer the following questions to help us find the right appointment for you.Important: If you believe that you have a medical or psychiatric emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. This website is not intended for emergency care.Have you seen this provider in the last 2 years?YesNoExisting Patient Schedule or request a follow up appointment online through MyChart. If you do not have a MyChart account, please close this window and call the appointment phone number. Yi-Tao Yu, Ph.D. is currently scheduling for the following appointment type(s): Our policy does not permit patients to establish care with multiple providers within the same practice or specialty without prior approval. If you choose a new provider in the same office, we will cancel the appointment. Please contact the office directly with questions on this policy.