Thanks to the OJ Simpson trial and the hit TV show CSI, everybody knows
about DNA. But no less important – as least from our body’s perspective
– is RNA, and the effort to understand it is putting a group of UNBC
researchers at the cutting edge of modern biology.
RNA – otherwise called ribonucleic acid – performs an incredible
diversity of roles in the almost magical construction of proteins from
the instructions written in each person’s genetic code. In order to
make the right proteins for our bodies, DNA gets copied into RNA, which
is then used as a template to make those proteins. Long regions of
these templates contain information that is currently believed to be
useless and are removed through RNA splicing. But the body doesn’t
always work perfectly. Errors in the splicing process lead to various
diseases, such as cancer and cystic fibrosis. Led by Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology professor Stephen Rader, UNBC is the site of one of
Canada’s up and coming research labs focusing on RNA splicing.
“There’s still a lot about RNA that we don’t understand, but if there’s
one thing we do know, it’s that it plays a vitally important role in
our bodies,” says Dr. Rader, who moved to UNBC in 2003 from the
University of California at San Francisco. “We have a dozen students
working in this lab and we know that our research is contributing to an
understanding of how life works at the molecular level. These molecules
make things alive.”
Among the research projects in the lab are those that contribute to an
understanding of the mechanisms and processes involved in RNA splicing:
• Researching the exact proteins that recycle the
human splicing machinery to better understand how genetic diseases come
to be.
• Determining whether molecules such as environmental
pollutants, antibiotics, or even perfumes affect the splicing process.
• Understanding the genetic mechanisms behind retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited eye disease.
• Using x-ray diffraction to see what the splicing machinery looks like at the molecular level.
In addition to actually investigating RNA behaviour, the research team
is developing new techniques that will help to make their work more
efficient. Enter UNBC student Amy Hayduk. She took a technique using
fluorescent molecules and applied it for the first time to RNA splicing
research. Using something as simple as a UV light, she is able to
quickly determine the nature of microscopic RNA splicing, including the
presence and concentrations of different molecules. The technique saves
time and money, and avoids the hazards associated with traditional
detection methods. In addition, it has the potential to allow
scientists to directly detect errors in the splicing process that might
be associated with disease.
“As scientists, we are committed to producing results that will
contribute to a shared understanding of how our bodies work,” says Dr.
Rader. “As human beings, it’s fascinating for us to be here at this
point in our evolution, using these fantastic tools to determine how we
work at the most basic biological level. Because of its unique
characteristics, some scientists believe that RNA was the first
biological molecule. If that’s the case, when we look into our
microscopes, we’re looking at the origins of life on earth.”
Contact the Office of Communications
Rob van Adrichem
Director, Media & Public Relations
(250) 960-5622
