RNA genome

As part of a collaborative effort, my research group has proposed to replace DNA with RNA as genetic material for cellular information with the goal of establishing cells with artificial RNA chromosomes (ARCs) carrying essential genes. In order to accomplish this goal, my group has been focused on the design and creation of a bacterial system capable of replicating RNA molecules in vivo in the absence of a DNA template. By doing so, we aim to test RNA structure, stability, and replication fidelity as limits to information capacity. In parallel we aim to illuminate questions about the complexity of pre-DNA life and its relation to existing RNA viruses.