The objective of the ENCORE (Encyclopedia of RNA Elements) project is to develop a foundational, functional map of protein-RNA interactions of RNA binding proteins (RBPs) encoded in the human genome, and the RNA elements they bind to across the transcriptome. These RNA elements, when expressed, form the basis of co- and post- transcriptional regulation of human genes. Our strategy consists of developing and integrating a physical map of 300 RBPs in two different human cell lines with transcriptome-wide measurements of the effects of depleting these RBPs, their localization patterns and their binding preferences independent of co-factor associations. In this data production core, we will capitalize on the highly efficient data production pipeline we have established over the past four years to generate RNA bind- n-seq, RNA-seq, protein localization and eCLIP data for an additional 300 RBPs. When combined with the data we generated over the past four years, these efforts will culminate in a comprehensive map of the functional RNA elements recognized by essentially all RBPs expressed in two human cell lines, representing approximately half of the known complement of human RBPs. In summary, the data we will produce in this project will enable a more systematic and comprehensive understanding of the role of RBPs and RNA biology in the contribution to human biology and disease.
