We are a team of molecular biologists, geneticists and biochemists seeking to understand how RNA influences the way cells function. We focus on the mechanisms that modify RNA after it is produced, determine its stability and ensure that it can perform its function correctly. We are also interested in how cells recognise non-functional RNA molecules, why disruptions in these mechanisms can lead to cancer, neurological disorders and other diseases, and how this knowledge can be applied in medicine.
Many human diseases are linked to cells being unable to process RNA correctly. The better we understand how RNA functions in healthy cells, the better our chances of uncovering the causes of cancer, neurological disorders and rare inherited diseases, and contributing to more accurate diagnostics and new treatments. By studying the mechanisms that regulate RNA modification and quality control, we help uncover the causes of these diseases.
Our discoveries have helped explain how cells recognise and remove non-functional RNA molecules and how chemical modifications of RNA affect gene activity. We were among the first to discover that human cells mark defective RNA molecules with several ‘U’s, signalling that they should be removed. We have also shown that these mechanisms play an important role in the immune system, heart cells and viral infections. These findings advance our understanding of how cells function and provide a foundation for further biomedical research.
We are currently investigating how chemical modifications of RNA and the addition of new nucleotides to its ends affect cell division. These processes are particularly important in rapidly dividing cells, such as cancer cells. We aim to understand how RNA coordinates the cell cycle – the different stages in the life and division of a cell – and how disruption of its regulation is linked to the development of cancer. In the future, these findings may help identify new treatment options.
