Speaker: Prof. Hongjun Song, Perlman Professor of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania

Time: 12:00-13:00 p.m., December 19, 2023, GMT+8

Venue: Room 101, School of Life Sciences, PKU

Abstract: 

The study of more than 170 chemically distincttypes of RNA modifications, or epitranscriptomics, has attracted significant interest because of its critical involvement in tuning nearly every aspect of RNA biology, regulating various biological processes ranging from development to cancer, and profound successes in clinical applications of RNA modifications to improve efficacy and reduce immunogenicity of COVID 19 mRNA vaccines. Rapid progress has been made in identifying writers, erasers and readers for different RNA modifications, which in turn provides entry points to investigate their biological functions and underlying mechanisms and to develop potential therapeutic strategies for different diseases. I present examples on the roles and mechanisms of epitranscriptomic regulation in the adult mammalian nervous system in vivo using animal models and in vitro using human brain organoids, including axon regeneration, learning and memory, adult-onset obesity, and progressive neurodegeneration. I will highlight unexpected biological principles uncovered through these studies.

Source: School of Life Sciences, PKU