Hudson Institute to lead International RNA research program

Prestigious grant fosters international interdisciplinary RNA research

12 April 2023

By Rob Clancy, staff writer

A biomedical team based at Hudson Institute has received sought-after funding to pursue new international interdisciplinary RNA research cooperation.

Professor Elizabeth Hartland, Director and CEO of Hudson Institute to lead international RNA research cooperation program — *Professor Elizabeth Hartland*

The Human Frontier Science Program has awarded one of only 25 Program Research Grants worldwide to a team led by Professor Elizabeth Hartland, and involving Hudson Institute post-doctoral researcher, Dr Kitty McCaffrey.

The project titled Bacterial targeting of the host epitranscriptome, also involves Frédéric Allain from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and Mark Helm from Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz Germany.

Gene regulation

Prof Hartland explains that the post-transcriptional processing and modification of cellular RNA provides an additional level of gene regulation that is known as the epitranscriptome.

“However, despite current knowledge of RNA modifications, the functional significance of many epitranscriptomic changes within the cell is unknown,” she says.

“Here we will explore the impact of bacterial infection on the host epitranscriptome using methods to identify the direct and specific modification of host RNA by bacterial pathogens.”

“Despite current knowledge of RNA modifications, the functional significance of many epitranscriptomic changes within the cell is unknown. Our project will help understanding of how RNA modifications regulate cellular functions and provide new insight into how pathogens replicate in human cells.” – Professor Elizabeth Hartland

Ambitious international RNA research cooperation

The International Human Frontier Science Program Organization, founded in 1989, develops and implements the Human Frontier Science Program, with the aim of encouraging ambitious interdisciplinary basic research.

Program Research Grants provide three years of support for international teams involving at least two countries, with preference given to intercontinental collaborations.

All team members are expected to broaden the character of their research compared to their ongoing research programs and interact with teams bringing expertise that is very different from their own so as to create novel approaches to problems in fundamental biology.