Laboratory for RNA Biology and Epigenetics

Scientific results:

1. In the Laboratory created with support form the mega-grant, we have, for the first time in our country, started research of Argonaute proteins of bacteria. These proteins are programmable nucleases that use short single-chain guide nucleic acids for detecting and cutting a complementary target. The bioinformatics analysis of bacterial Argonautes conducted in the beginning of the project allowed to select several dozens of candidate proteins for further analysis. 
2. We have researched the biochemical properties of more than 40 new Argonaute  proteins in vitro. For the first time in the world, we found and described Argonaute proteins with new properties that possess both a wide specificity and a narrow specificity towards the type of nucleic acids (DNA or RNA) used as the guide and the target. We found new groups of these proteins with unique specificity towards DNA or RNA targets. 
3. For the first time, we have experimentally demonstrated the participation of bacterial Argonautes in protecting cells from bacteriophages and plasmids. We found a new phenomenon of DNA interference, conducted research of this process. In the domain of applied research, we demonstrated the possibility of using bacterial Argonautes for the specific cutting of plasmid DNA, similarly to restriction endonucleases, as well as for cutting RNA and for detecting its secondary structure. 
4. We are currently working to use Argonaute proteins for genome editing, in particular, we have demonstrated such a possibility for modifying the genome of E. coli. The conducted research demonstrates that Argonaute proteins are a very promising molecular biological tool due to the capability of «directing» them onto specific targets using a short guide to the needed RNA or DNA sequence. 

Education and career development:

• In 2021, we compiled a lecture course for master’s degree students of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology – Generium school,  «Gene engineering and methods of molecular biology». 
• Relying of the results of the research, a Candidate of Sciences dissertation has been defended. One Doctor of Sciences dissertation and two Candidate of Sciences dissertations has been submitted for defense, two more Candidate of Sciences dissertations are currently being prepared. 

Collaborations:

Previously, the Laboratory has collaborated with the laboratories of David Leach (The University of Edinburgh), Katsuhiko Murakami (Penn State University), Dinshaw Patel (Sloan Kettering Institute). Some of experiments were conducted in these laboratories, we discussed experiment plans, their results and published articles.