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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)

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.