Center for RNA Research Introduction
RNA is a truly amazing molecule. It can be considered a cousin of DNA, because it has a similar chemical structure to DNA. However, unlike DNA (which serves only as the store for genetic information), RNA plays various roles: It can transfer genetic information, produce proteins, bind to various proteins that may regulate cellular activity, or function as an enzyme itself. RNA research may be in its early stages compared with progress made in DNA or protein research, but it is drawing more and more attention as the diversity of RNA types and their functions becomes clearer. In addition, RNA has gained a great deal of attention among the life-science community for several reasons. First, RNA defects are known to cause over 20% of genetic diseases. Second, RNA plays a crucial role in the process of determining what happens to cells. Our RNA research team is undertaking research to discover noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), which don't make proteins. Very little research has been conducted on these, so we aim to discover lots about their functions and active mechanisms. Although thousands of ncRNAs exist, we know the functions of only a few. Of these few, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been relatively well studied, but their regulation mechanism, functions, and evolution remain largely unknown. Our research team is currently conducting research on microRNAs that function in stem cells and cancer cells. In addition, our team is running a long-term project to identify new ncRNAs and the proteins that systematically bind to them. These studies will advance our understanding of genes and cells, and provide a conceptual basis for the development of new therapies and diagnostic techniques. We are a highly interdisciplinary and interactive team, combining expertise from genetics, biochemistry, bioinformatics, biophysics, analytical chemistry, and nanoscience. We are currently recruiting young scientists with various academic backgrounds, and offering them the best research environments and opportunities to exercise their creativity to the full.