Page 5 - RNA Biology | University of Rochester Medical Center

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.