Undergraduate Research & Scholarships

Umair Khan Sciences

Effects of C5 Protein on Interactions between RNase P Ribozyme and a Model mRNA Substrate

For his Senior Honors Thesis in Molecular & Cell Biology, Umair will investigate the effects of a protein co-factor on the interactions between RNase P ribozyme and a model mRNA substrate. His research will deepen our understanding of how the protein co-factor affects the sequence-specific ribozyme’s structure and activity as it cleaves an mRNA encoding thymidine kinase of herpes simplex virus 1. By revealing how the ribozyme interacts with the viral mRNA, Umair will provide insight into the engineering of sequence-specific ribozymes as antiviral therapeutic agents, with important applications for the treatment of infectious viral diseases.

Profile image of Umair Khan
Major: Molecular and Cell Biology
Mentor: Mentor: Professor Fenyong Liu, Public Health
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