Center for RNA Biomedicine

Ann Arbor, MI

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Rare disease collaboration receives NIH funding for a new Center for Fragile X disease

An interview with Peter Todd, M.D, Ph.D., Neurology, Medical School, University of Michigan (U-M), and member of the Executive Committee of the U-M Center for RNA Biomedicine

Dr. Todd will serve as co-director of a Fragile X Center without walls with investigators at U-M, Baylor College of Medicine, and Emory University. This Fragile X Center is one of three recently funded by National Institutes of Health (NIH). Fragile X syndrome is the most common inherited form of intellectual and developmental disability (IDD), and the repeat that causes Fragile X Syndrome can also result in neurodegeneration and premature ovarian failure. The center will receive $9 million over the next 5 years.

“Rare diseases” are not rare
First off, rare diseases are not rare in aggregate- one in 10 (~30 Million) people in the US will suffer from a rare disease. Second, in many of these rare diseases, we have been able to define their genetic basis, and that has allowed us to model them effectively. This has led to targeted and effective therapies for a number of previously untreatable rare conditions. [Read more…] about Rare disease collaboration receives NIH funding for a new Center for Fragile X disease

CRISPR in the Nobel spotlight – UM researchers aim to improve CRISPR and use it to target cancer

Once again, the Nobel Prize recognizes the most revolutionary and innovative scientific discoveries that have the highest potential to transform humankind. Drs. Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, both biochemists, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020 “for the development of a method for genome editing,” known as CRISPR.

This RNA-guided tool allows to change specific DNA sequences of cells in a very precise way, as to reverse deleterious genetic mutations responsible for human diseases. Once the selected section of a DNA is cut, it can be replaced with new genetic information correcting the mutation or providing new functions. This technique was originally observed as a natural way for bacteria to fight off viral infections, but as Doudna and Charpentier elucidated the mechanisms behind this adaptive bacterial immune response, these scientists realized that the CRISPR machinery could potentially be used as a molecular scissor to edit the genome of agricultural plants, and to cure human diseases. [Read more…] about CRISPR in the Nobel spotlight – UM researchers aim to improve CRISPR and use it to target cancer

RNA Translated, our magazine and brief report, is out!

RNA Translated’s main focus is on “2020, the year of the RNA viruses,” with representative contributions from 10 RNA faculty members. We also feature our two Research Cores and broadly report on the Center’s activity with a few highlights. With this publication, we aim to showcase the outstanding achievements and deep impact of the scientific collaborations emerging from the U-M RNA research community.

Read the online version, download the pdf and order your printed copy.

Thank you to our postdocs!

On the occasion of the National Postdoc Appreciation Week, September 21st–25th, the University of Michigan (U-M) Center for RNA Biomedicine’s community warmly thanks UM’s postdocs for their tremendous contributions to the field of RNA research and to the life of our scientific community.

According to the U-M Postdoctoral Association (UMPDA), an estimated 1,400 to 1,600 postdocs work across the University. They are key contributors to U-M’s research endeavor and to the dynamics of our labs. To thank them all, we interviewed four of them, all passionate about their research and lab work, representative of the entire cohort. Here is a summary of what they had to say about their roles at the U-M.

[Read more…] about Thank you to our postdocs!

From the Center’s co-directors, Fall 2020

Dear Colleagues,
While the COVID-19 pandemic has been causing major disruptions as well as many inconveniences, it also offers some new opportunities; perhaps now is the most opportune time to make new interpersonal connections, start new scientific collaborations, and broaden one’s horizons by learning from others. Through our activities below, we aim to support the community of U-M RNA scientists, to help us lead the solutions to the most pressing and transformative biological and medical needs as exemplified by the positive-strand, single-stranded RNA virus SARS-CoV-2. We are here to support you in connecting and creating synergies that lead to innovative research across disciplines, yielding collaborative grants and impactful research, as follows:

[Read more…] about From the Center’s co-directors, Fall 2020

Our members’ promotions:

Four Associate Professors and one Professor!

The Board of Regents of May 21st, 2020, approved recommendations for new appointments and promotions for regular associate and full professor ranks of the University of Michigan. The following Center for RNA Biomedicine’s members were further appointed:

 

Sami J. Barmada, associate professor of neurology, with tenure, Medical School
Alan P. Boyle, associate professor of computational medicine and bioinformatics, with tenure; associate professor of human genetics, without tenure, Medical School — see our “Featured Scientist”
Amanda L. Garner, associate professor of medicinal chemistry, with tenure, College of Pharmacy — see our “Featured Scientist”
Deepak Nagrath, associate professor of biomedical engineering, with tenure, College of Engineering and Medical School
Andrzej T. Wierzbicki, professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology, with tenure, College of LSA

“Kinetic fingerprinting” of single protein molecules to find the biomarker needle in the haystack

 

A cross-disciplinary team of scientists from the University of Michigan (U-M) has developed a biochemical technique that successfully measures the number of individual protein molecules present in blood at low concentrations. These findings are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), September 2020.

The scientists developed special antibody probes that repeatedly bind to and then release the target protein. With a single-molecule fluorescence microscope, they measured the number of times and for how long the repeated binding events occurred.

[Read more…] about “Kinetic fingerprinting” of single protein molecules to find the biomarker needle in the haystack

Stressed cellular proteins break social distancing rules

By Elisabeth Paymal

A team of scientists associated with the University of Michigan Center for RNA Biomedicine discovered unexpected cellular adaptation mechanisms in response to dehydration. The observed protein reaction has never been reported before.

The research began while observing processing bodies (P-Bodies), which are membrane-less organelles (MLO) involved in RNA degradation in human cells. The team found that, in response to osmotic changes provoked by high saline or sugar concentrations and subsequent dehydration, many proteins within the cell form aggregates similar to P-Bodies. The reaction takes only a few seconds and is reversible.

This phenomenon is distinct from the well-known integrated stress response that leads to the formation of stress granules, another type of membrane-less organelle that aggregates over several minutes.

“At the fundamental level, our work has unraveled a new paradigm for subcellular (membrane-less) organization and rapid stress response,” says Sethu Pitchiaya, a biophysical chemist, one of two shared first authors and a co-senior author on this publication.

Illustration: A pink cell experiences a gradient of salt levels, depicted as crystals. In response to changes in external salt levels, “clouds” of protein form by phase separation. These protect against the dehydrating effects of salt. (Illustration, Elisabeth Paymal) [Read more…] about Stressed cellular proteins break social distancing rules

S. Moon and N. Walter receive the CZI Collaborative Pairs Pilot Project Award

ANN ARBOR, MI, AUGUST 19, 2020—”A pair” of scientists from the University of Michigan (U-M) Center for RNA Biomedicine receives the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) Collaborative Pairs Pilot Project Awards.

The U-M Center for RNA Biomedicine brought together two scientists for this highly competitive grant: principal investigator Stephanie Moon, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in Human Genetics, Medical School, and co-principal investigator Nils G. Walter, Dr. Ing., Francis S. Collins Collegiate Professor of Chemistry, Biophysics, and Biological Chemistry, and founding co-director of the Center for RNA Biomedicine.

This prestigious award supports collaborative pairs of researchers as they carry out pilot projects that aim to explore innovative, interdisciplinary approaches addressing key challenges in the biology of neurodegenerative diseases.

[Read more…] about S. Moon and N. Walter receive the CZI Collaborative Pairs Pilot Project Award

Run into Grant Sprints!

The Center for RNA Biomedicine is offering Grant Sprints. For more information, please contact Martina Jerant.

Photo: Grant Sprint at the U-M Center for RNA Biomedicine, October 2019, clockwise from left to right, Elizabeth Tidwell, Markos Koutmos, Aaron Frank, Brandon Ruotolo, Varun Gadkari.

Curiosity and passion lead scientists to their field of research, but a good idea, even a great one, is not enough. Funding is crucial to the future of any research, and the stakes are so high that grant writing can turn into a burden and a source of anxiety. How then can grant writing be an exciting process that keeps innovation and creativity flowing, while responding to stressful funding needs?

Five years ago, Ann Verhey-Henke, Strategic Director of the University of Michigan (U-M) Center for Socially Engaged Design (C-SED) and then at the School of Public Health, started meeting with scientists who were struggling to infuse innovative and novel ideas into their collaborative grant proposals, and became determined to help them find a better way forward. She studied their journey of being a faculty member, interviewed them about their experience in academia, and listened to the dreams they had when they were just starting out. “There is a large disconnect between a faculty member’s deep desire to discover and contribute to society, and what they’re incentivized to do,” explains Verhey-Henke. “In collaboration with U-M faculty, we developed a method to catalyze faculty teams, building in diverse perspectives and ideas before the writing begins. What we have witnessed is a reenergizing experience that builds a collective excitement to work together toward the discovery of new knowledge and create impact.”

[Read more…] about Run into Grant Sprints!