RNA as a Drug Target and Material for Nanotechnology

Research in the Hermann lab is focused on exploring the structure, molecular recognition and assembly of ribonucleic acid (RNA) architectures.
One key goal is the development of therapies targeting noncoding RNA (ncRNA). ncRNAs participate as key players in many biological processes and may adopt complex folds that are required for function. The development of ligands that bind selectively to ncRNA targets opens new ways to expand the existing repertoire of protein-directed therapeutics. I will present our research on the discovery of an unprecedented molecular switch target in the genome of RNA viruses including the human pathogen hepatitis C virus (HCV) and the development of ligands that inhibit the viral switch.
In the second part of the presentation, I will outline how we use RNA crystal structures to design nano-architectures that self-assemble from small RNA motifs and may serve as combinatorial platforms for applications in molecular recognition, sensor and catalyst development as well as protein interaction studies.












Thomas Hermann (University of California, San Diego)