10th Annual Weissman Lectures – Lecture 1 Beyond Watson & Crick: Punctuating the DNA Genome and the RNA Transcriptome with Base Modifications and Alternative Folds
Dr. Cynthia Burrows, Thatcher Distinguished Professor of Biological Chemistry at the University of Utah
Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 938 7514 1312
Passcode: 548562
Reading a DNA or RNA sequence by simply looking at the Watson-Crick base pairs is like reading a book with no punctuation—tedious and confusing! The genome and the transcriptome are punctuated with base modifications, including added methyl groups or oxygen atoms, and alternative structures including hairpins and G-quadruplexes. Finding the rare but significant modifications in long strands of DNA or RNA has recently been made simpler by nanopore sequencing technology. This single-molecule method can be used to report on the location of base modifications as well as the dynamic behavior of folded motifs. A recent example is sequencing for pseudouridine in SARS-CoV-2 viral mRNA.
