Experts in the RNA Field Meet at UAlbany to Discuss the Importance of Epitranscriptomics for Human Disease Research

Since it inception in 2009, The RNA Institute has promoted the development of RNA tools and technologies that address the most challenging human health problems.

ALBANY, N.Y. (March 4, 2016) — The RNA Institute will convene leading U.S. researchers for presentations on the latest innovations in the emerging field of epitranscriptomics at the 3rd Annual RNA Symposium on RNA Science, Friday, March 18, at the Institute, located in the Life Sciences Building on UAlbany’s Uptown Campus.

Epitranscriptomics studies chemical changes to the bases of an RNA (RNA modifications) sequence without mutations that cause biologically relevant changes.

Sponsored by Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, the all-day symposium will conclude with a special celebration of The RNA Institute Director Paul Agris’ first half century of RNA research. Agris will deliver the event’s final keynote address, on “Engineering therapeutics against RNA targets of opportunity.”

The symposiums’ four sessions, running from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. will feature the following keynote speakers:

• Glenn Björk, professor emeritus in the department of molecular biology, Umeå University (Sweden)
• Carlos J. Bustamante, investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and professor of molecular and cell biology, physics, and chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley
• Chuan He, Ph.D., the University of Chicago
• Anna Moore, professor in radiology, Harvard Medical School, and assistant in cell biology, Massachusetts General Hospital
• Vikas Palhan, senior R&D scientist, MilliporeSigma

Two days of hands-on workshops on epitranscriptomics will be held in The RNA Institute’s laboratories, Wednesday and Thursday, March 16-17. The first two workshops, organized by Ken Halvorsen and Maria Basanta-Sanchez, senior research scientists at The RNA Institute, will present technologies they developed at UAlbany. The third workshop is organized by Alan Chen, UAlbany assistant professor of chemistry and Paul Whitford, assistant professor of physics at Northeastern University.

Symposium registration is required.

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