Guoming Gao is a Ph.D. student in the Nils Walter lab. He is interested in how biomolecular condensates impact RNA’s function by changing their diffusion or transportations, and how to extract this information by single molecule tracking of RNAs in live cells. Read more about Guoming in this week's RNA Featured Researcher.

Mentoring a UROP student gives you an opportunity to shape the future of your field and make a lasting impact in the life of an undergraduate student. UROP creates research partnerships between undergraduate students and University of Michigan (U-M) researchers and local community partners and organizations. Our students engage in research and creative projects with research mentors representing all 19 colleges/schools/units at U-M. UROP focuses on the diverse skills, perspectives, and resources that students bring to higher education by encouraging them toward a life-long appreciation for discovery, building understanding across differences, and critically examining information in the world around them.

Researchers receive research support from undergraduate research assistants. UROP pays student wages for those who are eligible through the work-study program and provides academic credit options. Supplementary funding is available for out of pocket expenses incurred by sponsoring a UROP student(s).

1.) UROP is open to first and second year students and community college transfer students who may often work with you throughout their academic career at the University of Michigan. Beginning in September, you will have the opportunity to interview and select the students you wish to invite into your project.

2.) Students participate in the program the entire academic year from late September-April.

3.) UROP provides research skill building workshops including Refworks, Matlab, GIS, Endnote, SPSS, STATA, Keeping a Laboratory Notebook, etc.

4.) All UROP students are assigned a peer facilitator who is a former UROP participant. Our peer facilitators provide an important link between you and your student, and our program if problems arise.

5.) You provide 6-12 hours of work per week, supervise the student’s progress and assign a grade each term.

For more information visit the UROP website, or contact urop.mentors@umich.edu

Yujin Wu, Advisor: Charles Brooks

Thursday, July 21, 2022

10:00 - 11:00 AM

Chemistry 1706

Marissa Cloutier, Advisor: Sundeep Kalantry

Thursday, July 21, 2022

1:00 - 2:00 PM

North Lecture Hall, Med Sci II

Yu Wang, Advisor: Al Hero

Friday, July 22, 2022

11:00 - 12:00 PM

438 West Hall

Michael McMillan, Advisor: Sami Barmada

Thursday, July 28, 2022

2:00 - 3:00 PM

BSRB, Kahn Auditorium

Our members' publications are available through Altmetrics. Queries are currently available: CRISPR, microRNA, molecule, RNA, RNA therapeutics, transcriptome, and translation. Below are recent highlights.

Liu, Y., Munsayac, A., Hall, I., & Keane, S. C. (2022). Solution Structure of NPSL2, A Regulatory Element in the oncomiR-1 RNA. Journal of molecular biology, 167688. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167688

ABSTRACT: The miR-17 ∼ 92a polycistron, also known as oncomiR-1, is commonly overexpressed in multiple cancers and has several oncogenic properties. OncomiR-1 encodes six constituent microRNAs (miRs), each enzymatically processed with different efficiencies. However, the structural mechanism that regulates this differential processing remains unclear. Chemical probing of oncomiR-1 revealed that the Drosha cleavage sites of pri-miR-92a are sequestered in a four-way junction. NPSL2, an independent stem loop element, is positioned just upstream of pri-miR-92a and sequesters a crucial part of the sequence that constitutes the basal helix of pri-miR-92a. Disruption of the NPSL2 hairpin structure could promote the formation of a pri-miR-92a structure that is primed for processing by Drosha. Thus, NPSL2 is predicted to function as a structural switch, regulating pri-miR-92a processing. Here, we determined the solution structure of NPSL2 using solution NMR spectroscopy. This is the first high-resolution structure of an oncomiR-1 element. NPSL2 adopts a hairpin structure with a large, but highly structured, apical and internal loops. The 10-bp apical loop contains a pH-sensitive A+·C mismatch. Additionally, several adenosines within the apical and internal loops have elevated pKa values. The protonation of these adenosines can stabilize the NPSL2 structure through electrostatic interactions. Our study provides fundamental insights into the secondary and tertiary structure of an important RNA hairpin proposed to regulate miR biogenesis.

Keywords: RNA structure; NMR spectroscopy; Thermal denaturation; microRNA

McLean, E. K., Nye, T. M., Lowder, F. C., & Simmons, L. A. (2022). The Impact of RNA-DNA Hybrids on Genome Integrity in Bacteria. Annual review of microbiology, 10.1146/annurev-micro-102521-014450. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-micro-102521-014450

ABSTRACT: During the essential processes of DNA replication and transcription, RNA-DNA hybrid intermediates are formed that pose significant risks to genome integrity when left unresolved. To manage RNA-DNA hybrids, all cells rely on RNase H family enzymes that specifically cleave the RNA portion of the many different types of hybrids that form in vivo. Recent experimental advances have provided new insight into how RNA-DNA hybrids form and the consequences to genome integrity that ensue when persistent hybrids remain unresolved. Here we review the types of RNA-DNA hybrids, including R-loops, RNA primers, and ribonucleotide misincorporations, that form during DNA replication and transcription and discuss how each type of hybrid can contribute to genome instability in bacteria. Further, we discuss how bacterial RNase HI, HII, and HIII and bacterial FEN enzymes contribute to genome maintenance through the resolution of hybrids.

The Long lab at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University is actively recruiting a Postdoctoral researcher. Experience and training in one or more of the following areas is recommended: omics, RNA biology, epigenetics, stem cell, CRISPR, bioinformatics or other related fields.

The Long lab tackles fundamental biological questions at the intersection of RNA, DNA and protein, with a special interest in how RNA regulates chromatin. This includes understanding the specificity of epigenetic repression in stem cell differentiation, high throughput functional determination of noncoding RNA in cell fate determination, and novel CRISPR tool development to study RNA and chromatin.

Applicants are expected to hold a Ph.D. at the start date (negotiable) of the postdoc position. The ideal candidate will have experience in a wide range of molecular biology techniques, including cell culture, molecular cloning, CRISPR techniques, and next-generation sequencing. Computational skills to analyze omics datasets will be advantageous. We are also looking for a computational biologist separately that is experienced in computational analyses of omics data (e.g., RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq, etc.). The candidates are expected to have excellent verbal and written communication skills.

To apply: Please send a CV, cover letter, and contact information for three references to Dr. Yicheng Long at yil4011@med.cornell.edu

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