September 30, 2024

Center News and Updates

Michelle Hastings, Ph.D., co-director of the Center for RNA Biomedicine's RNA Therapeutics Initiative, has pioneered an innovative therapeutic for us in the treatment of Batten disease — a devastating disorder that impairs the body's ability to eliminate cellular waste.

Early trials of this antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)-based therapy have shown remarkably positive outcomes, already creating more cherished moments for the young twin girls who are the heart of this dedicated effort.

Discover more about this groundbreaking advancement by reading the full story on the Center for RNA Biomedicine's website..

Explore Single Molecule Imaging at the SMART Center:

Single Molecule Imaging and Characterization

The Center for Single Molecule Analysis in Real-Time (SMART) provides instrumentation for single molecule detection and manipulation for U-M researchers, along with expert project advice and instrument training. We're happy to meet with you and your group to introduce you to our core's services and brainstorm potential applications to your projects!

If you are interested in the SMART Center for your project, please visit our webpage, or contact:

Damon Hoff, Core Manager at hoffj@umich.edu.

Nils Walter, Center Director at nwalter@umich.edu.

Download a copy of the flyer here!

2024 – 2025

RNA Innovation Seminar Series

presents:

"High-throughput determination of RNA tertiary contact thermodynamics by quantitative DMS chemical mapping"

Joseph Yesselman, Ph.D.

Biophysics

University of Nebraska

Host, Nils Walter, Ph.D., Chemistry, U-M

Monday, October 7 | 4 p.m.

In-Person: Kahn Auditorium, BSRB

Hybrid: Click here to join via Zoom.

Click here for more information, including talk abstract.

CRB Student and Postdoc Council new member applications are now open!

The Center for RNA Biomedicine's Student and Postdoc Council is back!

We're seeking passionate, dedicated new members to join us.

Help us build a vibrant community of learners, provide exciting educational opportunities, share skills, and engage with the Ann Arbor community.

We are looking for members who:

Are involved in RNA or adjacent biomedical research
Are members—or would like to become members—of the Center for RNA Biomedicine.
Are passionate about community engagement and building positive networks

Monthly Commitment:

ONE (1) hour for a monthly meeting.
ONE (1) hour following up on any assigned action items.

Click here to apply via Google Forms.

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS IS THIS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4.

Publications

Our members' publications are available through Altmetric.

Queries currently available:

CRISPR, microRNA, molecule, RNA, RNA therapeutics, transcriptome, and translation.

Below are recent highlights.

Monroe J, Eyler DE, Mitchell L, Deb I, Bojanowski A, Srinivas P, Dunham CM, Roy B, Frank AT, Koutmou KS. N1-Methylpseudouridine and pseudouridine modifications modulate mRNA decoding during translation. Nat Commun. 2024 Sep 16;15(1):8119. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-51301-0. PMID: 39284850; PMCID: PMC11405884.

Havens MA, Hinrich AJ, Rigo F, Hastings ML. Increasing MicroRNA Abundance by Targeting Biogenesis from the Primary Transcript with Steric-Blocking Antisense Oligonucleotides. RNA. 2024 Sep 10:rna.080021.124. doi: 10.1261/rna.080021.124. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39255995.