The RNA World

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Life probably originated as a self replicating ribonucleic acid, or RNA, molecule. This was enabled by RNAs unique versatility, simultaneously encoding information, catalysing chemical reactions and adopting complex structures, features upon which every living cell depends to this day. In the intervening 4 billion years of evolution, specialized roles have been outsourced to DNA and protein. Nevertheless, RNA remains at the heart of molecular biology, playing fundamental roles in translation and gene expression. Recently, we have come to appreciate that a diverse cast of regulatory RNAs underlie the complex gene regulatory networks that direct both healthy and diseased cells. Today, RNA based tools are at the forefront of biotechnology and medicine. This module will cover the entire scope of RNA biology, with a particular emphasis on its regulatory roles in mammalian cells and biotechnological and biomedical applications.