Electrifying RNA recognition: using electrons (and light) to unravel how the RNA metabolism Swiss army knife hStaufen1 protein works
Supervisors:
PhD Project Summary:
The double-stranded multifunctional RNA-binding protein Staufen1 was initially discovered in insects as a regulator of mRNA localization. Later, its mammalian orthologs and the Staufen2 paralog have been described in different organisms, including humans. Since their discovery, Staufen proteins have been studied for their involvement in various aspects of RNA metabolism. Given the pivotal role of RNA metabolism within cells, recent studies have explored the mechanistic impact of Staufen proteins in a wide variety of cell functions ranging from cell growth to cell death, as well as in various disease states. In particular, there has been increasing attention on the role of Staufen in neuromuscular disorders, neurodegeneration, and cancer. This project aims at deciphering the Staufen code using state-of-the-art facilities and expertise at the University of Glasgow (cryo-EM, optical tweezers) and at the Research Complex at Harwell (SAXS, spectroscopy, single molecule biophysics, high-resolution cryo-EM tomography).