The heightened appreciation for the central role of RNA molecules in all cellular processes - from catalysis to control of gene expression to cellular differentiation - combined with the practical applications of synthetic RNAs in biomedicine and biomolecular engineering have raised new challenges regarding RNA structure analysis, prediction, and design to both experimental and theoretical scientists. These challenges have produced many innovative approaches, including interdisciplinary efforts, to analyze, predict, simulate, and design RNA molecules. While many successes have been reported, progress in the field has been hampered by limited experimental resolution and an incomplete understanding of RNA tertiary structure, especially for large RNAs. Though RNA structure is believed to be hierarchical, the difficult problem of understanding and predicting its tertiary structure from its primary as well as secondary structure remains unsolved in general. In addition, some database issues and limited coordination of RNA archives have emerged. To advance this important scientific frontier, we will hold TSRC meetings in Summers 2014 and 2016 to bring leading experimentalists and modelers to discuss and advance the field.
We aim to create a core working group to bring together scientists working on both the genomic and molecular levels of RNA using novel experimental, mathematical, statistical, and computational methods. By familiarizing scientists from disparate disciplines with the challenges, and presenting current efforts, advances, and ideas, we hope to catalyze new approaches and collaborations in this important field, identify gaps in knowledge and areas for progress, and address these gaps after the first meeting via focused problems by the second meeting in 2016. Support by the NIH will help not only improve the workshop, but also provide NIH direct feedback on the participants' dialog and outcomes via resulting meeting reports and direct communications.

Public Health Relevance

RNA molecules are essential cellular components that play a central role in all biological processes. With many practical applications of synthetic RNAs in biomedicine and biomolecular engineering, this conference aims to bring together scientists working on both the genomic and molecular levels of RNA. By familiarizing scientists from disparate disciplines with the challenges and presenting current efforts, advances, and ideas, we hope to catalyze new approaches and collaborations in this important field and form a core working group to address gaps of knowledge.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Conference (R13)
Project #
5R13GM112216-03
Application #
9107478
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZGM1)
Program Officer
Preusch, Peter
Project Start
2014-07-11
Project End
2017-07-06
Budget Start
2016-07-07
Budget End
2017-07-06
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2016
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
New York University
Department
Chemistry
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
041968306
City
New York
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
10012
Schlick, Tamar; Pyle, Anna Marie (2017) Opportunities and Challenges in RNA Structural Modeling and Design. Biophys J 113:225-234
Petingi, Louis; Schlick, Tamar (2017) Partitioning and Classification of RNA Secondary Structures into Pseudonotted and Pseudoknot-free Regions Using a Graph-Theoretical Approach. IAENG Int J Comput Sci 44:241-246
Jain, Swati; Schlick, Tamar (2017) F-RAG: Generating Atomic Coordinates from RNA Graphs by Fragment Assembly. J Mol Biol 429:3587-3605
Pyle, Anna Marie; Schlick, Tamar (2016) Challenges in RNA Structural Modeling and Design. J Mol Biol 428:733-735
Kim, Namhee; Zahran, Mai; Schlick, Tamar (2015) Computational prediction of riboswitch tertiary structures including pseudoknots by RAGTOP: a hierarchical graph sampling approach. Methods Enzymol 553:115-35