UC Berkeley

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is an essential biomolecule that is commonly recognized as the template for protein synthesis across different classes of life. Aside from this well-known function, RNA plays many diverse roles within the cell and is directly involved in several processes that control gene expression. Different forms of RNA, spanning a range of lengths and structures, interact with the cellular machinery either alone or in complex with proteins and other nucleic acids to regulate how and when genes are expressed. In the past sixty years, the RNA field has grown at an astounding rate, and our understanding of this pervasive molecule is ever-expanding. However, in addition to its function as a gene regulator, RNA can also be engineered for use as a tool to probe cellular processes. We present here our efforts towards employing RNA in three different roles – targeting device, gene repressor, and sensor – to study fundamental processes in bacteria and eukaryotes.