Distinguished iNANO Lecture by Prof. Dr. Sabine Müller, Universität Greifswald - Institut für Biochemie, Germany

Professor, Dr. Sabine Müller, Universität Greifswald -  Institut für Biochemie, Germany

RNA ribozymes as fundamental players in early life and as tools in RNA engineering

The design of functional RNAs capable of catalysing a variety of chemical reactions has been an important goal in support of the RNA world hypothesis. We have designed and studied a number of hairpin ribozyme variants that mediate RNA processing reactions in different scenarios, including recombination, splicing and circularisation. We have also engineered RNA molecules with the ability to (i) recognise and sense specific ligands, (ii) fold into specific catalytic structures in response to external stimuli, and (iii) perform charge transfer. We have shown that encapsulation of RNA in vesicles, thought to have been a defining feature of the earliest cells, stabilises the active conformation and restores the activity of folding-deficient mutants. The RNAs designed in my lab not only serve as fascinating models of the activities of the RNA world, but also as potential tools for RNA engineering, for example to generate long RNAs with site-specific modifications.