RNomic Research

Non-protein-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) do not encode proteins but function directly at the level of the RNA or in complexes with protein as RNP. Bacterial small npcRNAs constitute a structurally diverse class of molecules that are typically 50–200 nt long and play a crucial role in many cellular networks, including responses to environmental stress, plasmid and viral replication, quorum sensing and bacterial virulence. These npcRNAs act either by base pairing with target mRNAs or by modulating protein activity. We aim to identify and characterize npcRNAs from clinical pathogen. Our model pathogens are Plasmodium falciparum, Salmonella typhi, Vibrio cholera and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We combined experimental and bioinformatics strategies in our npcRNAs search. The discovery of novel npcRNA in pathogenic organism will lead to studies involving structure, expression, function, roles in diseases and potential target for diagnostic.