Bioinformatics applied to Halobacterium salinarum RNA Structurome investigation

• Grant number: 12/12734-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: October 01, 2012
• End date: September 30, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo Zorzetto Nicoliello Vêncio
• Grantee: Eliane Zerbetto Traldi
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 09/09532-0 - Systems biology of the extremophile Halobacterium salinarum: role of the non-coding RNAs in the global gene regulatory network model, AP.JP

Abstract

Structure implies function. In the universe of biomolecules, this is a highly accepted paradigm. However, when the focus is the transcriptome, the structural configuration is a layer of information that is still poorly used. From the recognition of the different functions performed by the RNAs, it is fundamental that their structure is unveiled so that it is possible to understand how these biomolecules act in a variety of processes that are crucial to the existence and maintenance of biological systems, such as storage, transport and codification of genetic information, in addition to catalysis and regulation activities. In this Research Project, large scale modeling in silico of the structure of all RNA (RNA structurome) is proposed, using the extremophyle Halobacterium salinarum as the study organism. From this modeling it will be possible to classify the molecules in structural groups, in addition to investigate a correlation between these groups and information about function and regulation of the transcriptome.