Dissertation Research: Experimental in Vivo Evolution of the RNase P RNA Ribozyme

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Dorit9902351This study uses an experimental approach to explore a fundamental component of all metabolisms, the ribonucleoprotein RNase P. Composed of a catalytically active RNA and a companion protein, RNase P is present in all organisms, albeit in different forms. The investigators' objective is to understand the forces that have shaped the diversity of RNase P. To do so, they have developed a system for in vivo evolution that allows them to introduce an RNase P from a different organism into the E.coli bacterium. They will then be in a position to follow the evolution of this introduced RNase P in its new cellular environment, providing a direct glimpse into the evolution of single component of complex metabolisms. This approach will not only shed light on the action and flexibility of RNase P, but is in effect a generalizable experimental strategy for investigating the function of any protein or catalytic RNA of interest. This approach also extends the power of evolutionary analysis by providing a dynamic, experimentally based complement to more conventional retrospective approaches.