RNA secondary structure regulation of gene expression and its biotechnological application

我的实验室专注于RNA二级结构的改变在基因表达调控中的关键作用。具体来说，我们研究了RNA结构如何与蓝藻感知和对环境压力的反应相关。蓝藻代表了生物体的好、坏和丑陋。它们在全球O2、CO2和N2循环中发挥着至关重要的积极作用，而生物工程菌株在生物修复中发挥作用，是生物燃料和医学活性肽的来源。相反，由于产生毒素的藻华导致水质退化，蓝藻对人类健康的不利影响越来越大。了解蓝藻感知和响应环境压力的机制对于减轻有害影响和加强这些生物的生物技术开发至关重要。

My lab focuses on the crucial role that alteration of RNA secondary structure plays in the regulation of gene expression. Specifically we investigate how RNA structure is associated with cyanobacterial sensing and response to environmental stress. Cyanobacteria represent the good, bad, and ugly of organisms. They play vital positive roles in global O2, CO2 and N2 cycles, while bioengineered strains function in bioremediation and are a source of biofuels and medically active peptides. Conversely, cyanobacteria are having increasingly detrimental effects on human health through degradation of water quality as a result of toxin producing blooms. Understanding the mechanisms by which cyanobacteria sense and respond to environmental stress is crucial to mitigate the harmful effects and to enhance the biotechnological exploitation of these organisms.