Molecular "safety catches" for controlled modification of RNA. Synthetic biology is yielding novel tools that allow the modification of RNA in cells, to alter traits in agricultural, environmental and

Description

Molecular "safety catches" for controlled modification of RNA. Synthetic biology is yielding novel tools that allow the modification of RNA in cells, to alter traits in agricultural, environmental and medically-relevant backgrounds. However, poorly-controlled modification of RNA is dangerous: off-target modifications can be fatal. We will uncover how pentatricopeptide repeat sequence-specific RNA editing and nuclease proteins are able to structurally couple binding to the correct RNA sequence with enzyme activity. These mechanisms prevent off-target effects. We will then design and test protein fusions with other editing and nuclease proteins, and will build regulated, safe-to-use, versions of these proteins, testing their activity both in vitro and in planta, ready for use in agrobiotech.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology. Lead: Prof Charles Bond