Macrae Lab
Principal Investigator: Ian John Macrae
Institution: Scripps Research Institute (La Jolla, CA)
Primary Subfield: Molecular & Cell Bio
Recruitment Status: Inquire for rotation/fellowship opportunities
Research Focus
Project Summary/Abstract RNA Silencing is a blanket term for a diverse group of biological processes in which small RNAs, including PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) silence genes. This proposal aims to leverage my group’s expertise in structural biology and biochemistry to address outstanding questions that stand as roadblocks to advancing the current understanding of RNA Silencing biology. Specifically: 1) piRNAs, essential for defending the genome against transposable elements (TEs), have been studied extensively using molecular genetics, but how piRNA-associated factors work together to produce the potent TE-silencing observed in animals remains unclear. We will address this knowledge gap by discovering the structures and biochemical activities of RNA-protein complexes central to piRNA function. 2) miRNAs are ubiquitous regulators of cellular gene expression in mammals, but how miRNAs themselves are regulated has only recently come to light. We will advance this emerging area by determining the structural basis for targeted ubiquitination and destruction of miRNA- protein complexes by the recently discovered ZSWIM8 Cullin-RI…
Active NIH Awards
- 5R35GM127090-09: Structural and Mechanistic basis for RNA Silencing (2026)
- 5R35GM127090-08: Structural and Mechanistic basis for RNA Silencing (2025)
- 1R21AI194052-01: Development of siRNA-peptide libraries for delivery screening (2025)
- 5R35GM127090-07: Structural and Mechanistic basis for RNA Silencing (2024)
- 3R35GM127090-07S1: Structural and Mechanistic basis for RNA Silencing (2024)
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