Research
Research
Codon Optimality in Vertebrates
We seek to understand what dictates the stability and the level of translation of messenger RNA (mRNA) in vertebrates. In particular, we are decoding the regulatory information encrypted across the ENTIRE mRNA. And while we are interested in the canonical regulatory mechanism by which proteins (e.g. RNA binding proteins) or microRNAs recognize regulatory elements in the 3’UTRs, we are also very interested in the regulatory information encrypted in the coding region, and more precisely, in the genetic code. We have demonstrated that mRNA translation strongly affects mRNA stability in a codon-dependent manner. In sum, we seek to understand how mRNA stability and translation is regulated during embryogenesis and how that may affect human diseases.
CRISPR-Cas13d induces efficient mRNA knockdown in animal embryos
We demonstrated that CRISPR-RfxCas13d is an effective and precise system to deplete specific mRNA transcripts in zebrafish embryos. Both zygotically-expressed and maternally-provided transcripts can be efficiently targeted in zebrafish embryos, resulting in a 75% average decrease in transcript levels and generate developmental phenotypes. Moreover, CRISPR-RfxCas13d can be used in medaka, killifish and mouse embryos.
