Short Course Description
Technological innovations of late enable the identification, isolation and determination of the sequence, structure and post-transcriptional modifications of the entire collection cellular RNA species (the transcriptome). It turned out that even the most complex genomes are almost completely transcribed and, consequently, the number of the cellular RNA types and biological tasks they assume far exceeds the previously assumed. Moreover, malfunction of various novel RNA species accounts for pathological syndromes including neurological, cancerous and autoimmune. Nonetheless, the accumulated knowledge represents only the tip of an iceberg, the bulk of which remains to explore. Closing this gap requires an in-depth knowledge of the principles of RNA structure and function and of up-to-date research methods for exploring it. The RNA World course strives to provide a window into this knowledge.
Course topics include, among others: principles of RNA structure and methods for predicting and determining it/ RNA interactions with proteins and other ligands/ RNA origin and function in life?s evolution/ catalytic properties of RNA and their expression in protein translation, RNA splicing and viral replication/ regulatry RNAs /RNA damage and repair.
The teacher presents the first part of the course. In the second the class teaches itself, where each participant presents a short talk about one of studies listed in the teacher's first presentation. This list will also be sent to the course distribution list in advance.
Teacher?s presentations
RNA structure principles
RNA structure prediction and determination
RNA interactions with proteins and other ligands
RNA origin and role in life?s evolution
RNA?s catalytic roles in translation, splicing and viral replication
Regulatory RNAs
RNA damage and repair
Topics for student presentations
RNA world hypotheses
RNA roles at the ribosome decoding and peptidyl transfer centers
A self-splicing intron at the cradle of the eukaryotic lineage
Ribozymes, riboswitches and riboregulators
Therapeutic RNA
Exploring RNA and its interactions genome wide
Full syllabus is to be published
