Gomberg Lecture: The Chemistry and Biology of the RNA World

In addition to its central role as a messenger, RNA performs numerous critical functions that don't involve coding for proteins. For example, noncoding RNAs can catalyze biochemical reactions (ribozymes), and they can power cellular immortality (telomerase). In today's talk, Prof. Cech will present recent work on a new and still controversial noncoding function of RNA: regulating epigenetic gene silencing by enzymes including PRC2 and DNMT1. More generally, he will talk about the important perspective that a chemist brings to molecular biology.