UC Irvine

From epigenetic regulation to protein regulation, RNAs structure is integral to a wide variety of cellular processes. Many functions performed by RNAs are now just beginning to be discovered and explored. An important step forward is developing methods that can relate the structure of a given RNA molecule to its function. Chemical probing is commonly the method of choice for interrogating RNA structure; however, the field is limited to select chemistries available for studying RNA structure. Herein, my studies provide avenues to improve upon, as well as invent, chemical approaches necessary to add to the current toolbox of chemical methods for measuring RNA structure inside living cells. Furthermore, these tools are adapted to next-generation sequencing methodologies which can provide a convenient access to analyzing the structures of thousands of RNAs in parallel. The merger of chemistry and transcriptomics is poised to provide novel inroads to exploring how groups of RNAs are regulated by common structural motifs that impart function.