NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology

Megraw Molly S, Durham NC

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2008. The fellowship supports a research and training plan entitled "Discovering the role of small RNA regulatory circuits in plants" for Molly S. Megraw. The host institution for this research is Duke University, and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Uwe Ohler. There are portions of a genome which don't code for protein are not simply "junk DNA", and these portions encode the production rules for tiny molecules of RNA which perform life-critical functions in organisms ranging from bacteria to humans. MicroRNAs (or miRNAs) are a subgroup of RNAs which help reduce or stop proteins from being made by coding genes. Because of this, they serve an important role in scientific research relating to development and diseases. Previous research in bacteria revealed that RNAs which target protein coding genes can give the genetic system a whole new set of characteristics. This research is identifying and studying the properties of genetic circuits which function in specific living plant tissues and will be using the plant Arabidopsis thaliana as a model system as it provides an intermediate level of complexity between bacterial and animal systems. The training objectives include extensive study of probabilistic graphical models and basic experimental techniques through a wet-lab immersion experience. The broader impact of this work is new insight into the systemic roles of small RNAs as components of a larger genetic system by understanding the types of circuits in which miRNAs function in the cell.