Seventh annual RNA Center Symposium to explore future of RNA therapeutics

March 6, 2023  //  FOUND IN: Research Event, Updates & Resources

The stunning success of mRNA vaccines in preventing severe disease and death from the coronavirus has many wondering what other biomedical applications might result from RNA research. 

The U-M Center for RNA Biomedicine will explore that topic at its seventh annual symposium on March 24, entitled, “From Molecules to Medicines.”

RNA research shapes revolutionary scientific paths, from fundamental science discoveries in the labs to powerful biomedical applications for patients. 

Five renowned keynote speakers will illuminate the future of RNA therapeutics. They are, in order of their talks:

  • Steve Henikoff, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, on Genome-wide Mapping of Protein-DNA Interaction Dynamics
  • Jody Puglisi, Stanford University, on The Choreography of Translation Initiation
  • Geraldine Seydoux, Johns Hopkins University, on RNA Granules: Assembly and Function
  • Amy Gladfelter, University of North Carolina, on RNA Structure Controls Composition and Network Dynamics of Condensates
  • Joseph Wedekind, University of Rochester, on Redefining Riboswitches: Ribosome-Binding Site Sequestration is Dispensable for Gene Regulation by the Largest Group of preQ Riboswitches

The symposium also includes two mini-talks by U-M researchers and concludes with a panel discussion. 

The event will be in person and will not be recorded. It begins at 8:30 a.m. on March 24 in the Kahn Auditorium of the A. Alfred Taubman Biomedical Research Science Building. It is free and open to all, although registration is required. 

Register at rna.umich.edu/2023-symposium. A boxed lunch will be provided.

The Center for RNA Biomedicine fosters and promotes the U-M RNA research community. 

Funded as part of the Presidential Biosciences Initiative, since its inception in 2016, the center has organized a symposium to bring the RNA research community together to discuss the latest  discoveries in the field and the next scientific inquiries.

The Center for RNA Biomedicine is the largest academic RNA research center in the U.S. It comprises more than 160 faculty and their labs, across seven schools and colleges of the Ann Arbor campus, reflecting the interdisciplinary requirement and collaborative spirit of RNA research.

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