Grant: Operating Grant

The health of an organism relies on the proper functioning of its cells. Proteins are the molecular machines within cells that do work, and are at the core of many biological processes, including cell growth, cell division, and cell death. Abnormal changes in protein levels or activities are the underlying causes of most human health disorders, such as cancer, neurological diseases, diabetes, and AIDS. The development of disease is usually prevented through the careful coordination of protein levels and activities, by a variety of cellular mechanisms. We propose to study a class of molecules called microRNAs (miRNAs), which control the levels of many human proteins. miRNAs repress protein production by binding to the tail regions of genetic material called messenger RNAs (mRNAs), which act as templates for protein synthesis. It is currently not well understood how miRNAs, upon binding to their mRNA targets, subsequently inhibit protein synthesis. By studying the mechanisms of miRNA action, we will shed light on a significant manner by which normal cell function is maintained.