Page 5 - RNA Biology | University of Rochester Medical Center
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FIGHTING THE MOST VIRULENT DISEASE

                                                   Bacterial infections are pushing us toward a health care catastrophe.

                                                   Hyper-virulent bacteria have emerged and current antibiotics are no
                                                   longer working. Bacterial infections recently surpassed car crashes,
                                                   diabetes and HIV-AIDS as a cause of death in the U.S. Furthermore, few
                                                   new classes of antibiotics are being developed by drug companies. RNA
                                                   biology is providing new hope in the fight against infection. Paul. M.
                                                   Dunman, Ph.D., has identified ways to promote the breakdown of bad
                                                   RNA within bacteria. This research has the potential to reveal a whole
                                                   new way of fighting infection―encouraging bacteria to “self-destruct”
                                                   through the actions of their own cells.






                                                   VISUALIZING THE SHAPES OF RNA MACHINES


                                                   Scientists once thought of RNA as a “wet noodle”―a string with no
                                                   particular shape. In fact, RNA is a highly complex, three-dimensional
                                                   machine, whose structure is vital to the way it functions.

                                                   David Mathews, M.D., Ph.D., created software that accurately predicts
                                                   the structure of RNA molecules. This software―downloaded by more
                                                   than 20,000 scientists around the world to date―is being used to design

                                                   new pharmaceuticals with chemical “shapes” that interact precisely with
                                                   the machinery of RNA.








                                                   MOVING TOWARD NEW CURES


                                                   Ribosomes are responsible for crawling along messenger RNA, decoding
                                                   its information, and using it to manufacture proteins. Very little is
                                                   known about how ribosomes move along the RNA molecule, yet this
                                                   action is key to understanding many aspects of human health and
                                                   disease.


                                                   Dmitri Ermolenko, Ph.D., is unlocking the secrets of how ribosomes
                                                   move. Through state-of-the-art biophysical techniques, Dr. Ermolenko’s
                                                   research is revealing promising new ways for drugs to battle AIDS and
                                                   other infections.
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