Welcome to The Center for RNA Science and Therapeutics
The Center for RNA Science and Therapeutics (the RNA Center) is a free-standing academic unit in the basic sciences at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The center was established in the mid-nineties in recognition of the strong cadre of research laboratories at CWRU devoted to studying post-transcriptional mechanisms of gene expression focusing on various aspects of RNA Biology.
The success of the center in these endeavors led to its formal recognition as an independent unit in 2001. Its expanded charge was to recruit new investigators in existing and emerging areas of RNA biology while continuing to provide an environment for collaborative research using shared expertise and resources. The center also provides exceptional opportunities for graduate and postdoctoral training in an open and interactive setting.
Research
RNA impacts nearly every aspect of gene expression and it is now clear that the majority of human genetic diseases are caused by problems in RNA metabolism. Furthermore, RNA processing accounts for nearly all of the proteomic diversity in human cells. Humans have only just under 30,000 genes, yet produce many times that number of proteins. Moreover, it is clear that in addition to its fundamental roles in information transfer from DNA to protein, RNA molecules play crucial roles in gene regulation, as approximately 10% of all of human genes are regulatory RNAs.
Current research in the center focuses on several of these problems ranging from extremely basic questions such as the mechanism of RNA catalysis and how proteins interact with RNA and the roles of RNA processing in disease. Specific research interests include splicing and its regulation, RNA editing, tRNA maturation, mechanisms of translation regulation, and RNA trafficking. As the center continues to expand, we hope to recruit in new areas of RNA molecular biology.