9703804 Armitage The International Research Fellow Awards Program enables U.S. scientists and engineers to conduct three to twenty- four months of research abroad. The program's awards provide opportunities for joint research, and the use of unique or complementary facilities, expertise and experimental conditions abroad. This award will support a three-month postdoctoral research visit by Dr. Bruce A. Armitage to work with Dr. Peter E. Nielsen at the Panum Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark. Dr. Armitage will study the interaction of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) oligomers with RNA molecules. His major hypothesis is whether the interaction of PNA with synthetic ribozyme RNA will inhibit ribozyme self-splicing. This work will give increased understanding into the interaction of PNA with folded RNA molecules, which are essential components in the development of PNA as an antisense therapeutic and diagnostic agent. Dr. Nielsen is one of the inventors of PNA and therefore is most experienced in the synthesis and application of these molecules. In addition, Nielsen's colleague, Dr. Henrik Nielsen will contribute expertise in RNA and ribozymes. Dr. Armitage completes the collaboration with his experience in quinone chemistry and photochemistry. ***
