2024 Schoenberg Lectureship Poster Presentations
Is Snow White Really Sleeping? The Secret Tool that Unlocks Her Glass Coffin From the Inside (Rasmussen Lab)
After they infected humans millions of years ago, Human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs) were believed to be asleep like Snow White. However, many HERVs are involved in diseases including various cancers and are clearly awake and on the move! We study a protein called Rec that transports HERV information from the cell nucleus to the cytoplasm. Currently, we are defining the role of Rec in pediatric liver and kidney cancers.
Splicing Together Hope: How RNA Splicing Impacts Cancer & Treatment Options (Chandler lab)
Splicing RNAs is like editing a rough draft. DNA is a giant instruction book; when the body needs something, it copies part of the book into a message. But, like any draft, some parts aren’t needed. Splicing is the cell’s editing process, cutting out unnecessary parts to create a clear message. If this goes wrong, faulty instructions can cause diseases like cancer. We focus on altering splicing to ensure the correct message is delivered.
PIWI RNAs tackle transposons to safeguard fertility across the animal kingdom (Tang lab)
PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are short sequences of RNA found in species across the animal kingdom. piRNAs safeguard sperm and egg cells by identifying and suppressing harmful sequences of DNA, called transposons, to promote fertility. We use the worm C. elegans to study the basic biology of piRNAs. Our recent discoveries related to piRNAs could someday help us better understand genetic causes of infertility in humans.
Role of RNAs in Animal Growth and Development (Cole and Amacher labs)
Control of RNA expression levels is crucial for animal growth and development. We spotlight examples where critical developmental decisions rely on accurate counting and fine-tuning levels of specific RNAs.
Unlocking Nature’s Tools to Improve Gene Editing (Fu lab)
Argonaute proteins are found across all life forms and play a key role in targeting and cutting nucleic acids. Recent discoveries in Argonautes from bacteria revealed their potential for gene editing. By exploring the natural diversity of these proteins, we aim to unlock new, precise methods for genome editing, paving the way for innovative therapies and biotechnological applications.
Is RNA Structure the Missing Key to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)? (Musier-Forsyth and Kolb labs)
Large mRNAs have dynamic structures that play crucial roles in gene regulation. We hypothesize that point mutations in the KIF5A mRNA associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cause changes in its structure that impact the protein’s function. Our research will help in better understanding the underlying mechanisms of this devastating neurodegenerative disease.
When Fishing with the Argonaute Protein, Make Sure to Bring the Right Bait (Nakanishi lab)
Personal genome sequencing has linked a rare developmental disorder, which leads to intellectual disability in children, to mutations in Argonaute proteins. These proteins use a guide RNA as bait to catch a complementary protein-coding RNA, effectively halting protein production. We hypothesize that the mutant Argonautes found in these patients contain unusually small guide RNAs, which capture the wrong targets and result in improper protein expression.
How basic research fueled the development of messenger RNAs as medicines (Singh lab)
Messenger RNAs (mRNAs) are present in every cell of our body, serving as the go-between for the information encoded in our blueprint (DNA) and the cellular workhorses (proteins) that perform essential life tasks. Decades of basic research on mRNAs have laid the foundation for its groundbreaking use in modern medicines
Advancements in gRNA engineering for CRISPR in Research and Clinical Applications (Tu lab)
CRISPR is an innovative technology transforming genome studies and gene therapies by using a short RNA guide to target Cas9 DNA “scissors” to precise locations in the genome. Our research focuses on enhancing guide RNAs to improve the applicability of CRISPR. We will showcase our research on engineered guide RNAs that enable visualization of DNA organization and dynamics in live human cells, as well as their potential for genome manipulatio
Past Schoenberg Lecture Events
2025 Schoenberg Lecture Poster Presentations - Dr. Craig Mello
2024 Schoenberg Lecture Poster Presentations - Dr. Adrian Krainer
2023 Schoenberg Lecture Poster Presentations - Dr. Melissa Moore