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Caltech

Frontiers in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Wednesday, March 5, 2025
4:00pm to 5:00pm
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Gates Annex B122
Deconstruct and reprogram RNA lifecycle
Xiao Wang, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard,
  • Internal Event

The intricate network of cell functions relies on gene expression programs. At the core of this process lies the RNA life cycle, which deciphers both the protein-coding and regulatory DNA sequences, ensuring protein products are synthesized in the right place at the right time. To better understand RNA-centered gene regulation, we first need a panoramic view of the whole mRNA life cycle directly within intact cells and tissues, encompassing synthesis, processing, transport, and translation, and degradation, which is currently obscured by limited analytical tools. In my presentation, I will first introduce our tool development of novel spatiotemporal measurements at unprecedented resolution and scale using in situ sequencing to probe the intricate dynamics of the RNA life cycle. Beyond mapping the RNA life cycle in heath and disease, I will also discuss how we have translated our knowledge of post-transcriptional gene regulation principles into next-generation RNA vectors and drugs by expanding and engineering the alphabet, structure, and topology of synthetic RNAs with unnatural chemical modifications.

For more information, please contact Annette Luymes by phone at x6016 or by email at aluymes@caltech.edu.