Batista Lab
Principal Investigator: Luis Francisco Zirnberger Batista
Institution: University of Utah (Salt Lake City, UT)
Primary Subfield: Molecular & Cell Bio
Recruitment Status: ✅ Accepting PhD Students ✅ Hiring Postdocs
Research Focus
PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Mutations in telomerase cause bone marrow failure in patients suffering with dyskeratosis congenita and other associated telomere biology disorders. While mutations in these patients are found in different components of telomerase, mutations in genes that regulate the processing of the RNA component of telomerase, TERC, are the most prevalent. Due to a lack of adequate models and intrinsic difficulties in studying human telomerase in physiologically relevant cells, the molecular pathways that control TERC biogenesis and decay during hematopoiesis remain largely unknown. Progress in the field has been hampered by species and even cell-type specific differences in telomerase biology that limit our understanding of the molecular mechanisms leading to the disproportionate role of TERC in hematopoietic failure when compared to other components of telomerase. A better understanding of the molecular regulation of TERC biogenesis and function in hematopoietic cells is essential for development of novel alternatives for patients, which remain without a cure. The focus of this proposal is to use different in vitro and in vivo approaches to decipher molecular pathways…
Active NIH Awards
- 7R01HL172961-02: Uncovering Novel Regulatory Pathways and Functions of the Telomerase RNA Component in the Hematopoietic System (2026)
- 5R01HL174789-04: Mechanisms and Relevance of miRNA Decay during Hematopoietic Development (2026)
- 7R01CA258386-06: Telomere Dysfunction and Telomerase Reactivation in the Etiology and Progression of Liver Cancer (2026)
- 7R01HL174789-03: Mechanisms and Relevance of miRNA Decay during Hematopoietic Development (2025)
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