Prof. Jiahui (Chris) Wu received a five-year, $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study how ribonucleoprotein (RNP) condensates — tiny subcellular structures made of RNAs and proteins — form, function, and sometimes malfunction. Since RNP condensates are linked to diseases like cancer and neurological disorders, this research aims to develop new tools to dissect the composition of RNP condensates and watch them in real time inside living cells, helping reveal their role in health and disease.
In textbooks, RNA molecules are often depicted as spaghetti-like molecules that act on their own, but in reality, RNA molecules are very often bound by various protein molecules, forming little “workshops” (called ribonucleoprotein complexes or RNPs) that help the cell to do important jobs. Recent research has shown these RNA-protein workshops can form and break apart into tiny structures in the cell, like tiny droplets of oil in water. But, we don’t yet understand how they are built and controlled. Wu’s research team aims to invent new tools to dissect the exact composition of these droplets and to watch them as they form and disassemble in living cells. Discoveries could help us to understand how cells use these droplets to carry out important tasks and how malfunction of these droplets contribute to disease.
Wu’s project could transform our understanding of how cells regulate gene expression, maintain genome stability, and respond to stress. By developing and applying new tools to unravel the composition and dynamics of RNP condensates, the work could: (1) Advance our fundamental understanding of how the cell works, and how biomolecules, such as RNAs and proteins, can form subcellular structures to carry out different cellular functions. (2) Provide insights into how RNA-protein interactions or misinteractions contribute to cancer and neurological disorders. This could help to identify the molecular player(s) that control cell health and aid in training the next generation of scientists for biomedical research.