Chemical Methods to Control RNA Interference with Light

有了这个奖项，生命过程化学项目将支持密苏里大学堪萨斯城分校西蒙·弗里德曼教授的研究，以开发和完善光激活RNA干扰（LARI）方法，这是一种利用光控制基因表达的技术。具体来说，Friedman小组的目标是通过rna干扰对基因敲低进行时空控制，并控制这种敲低的程度。为了改进该方法，将开发新的光致性基团并将其连接到小rna （siRNA和dsRNA）的末端，并在模型系统中评估它们在光下减少基因表达的能力。这将包括转染和内源性基因靶标中基因表达的光依赖性敲低。这种改进的方法将用于检查和解决一系列生物系统中的问题，包括与发育生物学和组织工程相关的问题。除了培养学生在化学和生物学的界面，拟议的工作的更广泛的影响是针对社区超越直接的科学界受到LARI的影响。在两个项目中的第一个项目中，PI将完善一系列的演示，这些演示之前是通过展示如何将化学原理应用于非实验室情况来帮助学生理解化学原理的普遍性。在第二个提议的活动中，PI将为当地社区组织一系列关于科学的讨论。这些电影将以描述著名科学家生活的传记科学电影为中心。PI将以这些电影为起点，讨论正在研究的特定科学，以及科学探究的本质，以及科学问题是如何提出和最终解决的。

With this award, the Chemistry of Life Processes program is supporting the research of Professor Simon Friedman at the University of Missouri at Kansas City to develop and refine the method of Light Activated RNA Interference (LARI), a technique being developed to control gene expression with light. Specifically, with this tool, the Friedman group aims to exert spatial and temporal control of gene knockdown via RNA-interference, and also to control the extent of this knockdown. To refine the approach, new photolabile groups will be developed and attached to the termini of small RNAs (siRNA and dsRNA), and their ability to reduce gene expression with light will be assessed in model systems. This will include the light dependent knockdown of gene expression in transfected and endogenous gene targets. The refined method will be used to examine and address questions in a range of biological systems, including those related to developmental biology and tissue engineering. In addition to the training of students at the interface of chemistry and biology, the Broader Impacts of the proposed work are aimed at the community beyond the immediate scientific community affected by LARI. In the first of two projects, the PI will refine a series of demonstrations, previously developed to help students understand the universality of chemical principles by showing how they apply to non-laboratory situations. In a second proposed activity, the PI will organize a series of discussions about science for the local community. These will be centered on biographical science movies that described the life of famous scientists. The PI will use these films as a starting point to discuss the specific science that was being investigated, and also the nature of scientific inquiry, and how scientific questions are posed and ultimately addressed.