Ribonucleic acids (RNAs) are versatile molecules that fulfil a variety of essential functions within a cell. Some structured RNAs, called ribozymes, can catalyze chemical reactions to carry out sophisticated biological tasks. One such RNA-mediated chemical reaction is performed by self-cleaving ribozymes, which cut their own phosphate backbone at a specific site to generate two RNA fragments.
We are studying self-cleaving ribozymes to learn more about their distribution in nature and about their functions in biology, especially in bacteria.
Christina Weinberg Lab 