RNA Engineering for Synthetic Biology and Drug Development

The ability to reprogram prokaryotic and eukaryotic cellular functions by modulating gene expression is central to advancing biotechnology and therapeutic applications. Synthetic biology has revolutionized the biomedical field by providing powerful genetic tools, among which synthetic riboswitches (engineered RNA regulatory elements) emerged as a promising tool. 

Synthetic riboswitches modulate gene expression in response to specific inducer molecules, mimicking the mechanism of natural riboswitches that alter RNA structure upon ligand binding. Synthetic riboswitches enable spatiotemporal control of gene expression, allowing precise and dynamic regulation of cellular responses with high specificity. 

Our lab focuses on the rational design and development of synthetic RNA switches that deliver robust and predictable regulatory functions for diverse synthetic biology applications.

Beyond synthetic biology, we also explore RNA sequence-structure-function relationships in bacterial and human non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). These studies not only deepen our understanding of RNA-mediated regulation but also identify ncRNAs as promising therapeutic targets. 

Specifically, we design and synthesize small molecules to selectively interact with Bacterial ncRNAs for antibacterial therapies and Human ncRNAs implicated in cancer for anticancer therapies.

CURRENT FOCUS AREAS
•   Rational design and development of RNA switches as synthetic biology tool and their applications. 
•   Development of small molecules to target nucleic acid conformation for antibacterial and anticancer therapy.