Investigating non-canonical RNA processing in developing spermatids. RNA combines the information content of DNA and the physical properties of proteins. These features mean it's emerging as a major p

Description

Investigating non-canonical RNA processing in developing spermatids. RNA combines the information content of DNA and the physical properties of proteins. These features mean it's emerging as a major player for new knowledge; for answers to fundamental questions in biology, and for applications in biotechnology. This project aims to understand how non-canonical RNA processing events control gene expression. How mRNA is processed post-transcriptionally for selective storage, translation, stabilisation or decay to control development. RNA-driven processes program morphogenesis and differentiation of spermatids, but via mechanisms only poorly understood. Uncovering the function of extensive cytoplasmic polyadenylation, which is essential for murine fertility, may fuel the next wave of RNA biotech applications. . Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 0604 - Genetics. Lead: Prof Traude Beilharz