Section: Rotations

Thoru Pederson, Ph.D.

Academic Role: Professor

Faculty Appointment(s) In:
   Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology

Other Affiliation(s):
   Cell Dynamics Group
   Interdisciplinary Graduate Program

 Background for Student Rotation Projects

Our studies on how various RNAs are transported within and out of the nucleus involve fluorescent tagging of specific RNAs and tracking their intranuclear movements by high speed microscopy and image processing methods.  The current direction in this project focuses on the newly discovered pre-microRNAs that direct RNA interference, as well as other non-coding, “unconventional” RNAs.  Parallel studies focus on the nucleolus, the classical site of ribosome synthesis but now also known from our work and that of others to have additional functions.  We are investigating the assembly of the signal recognition particle (SRP) in the nucleolus, as well as novel proteins that provocatively visit the nucleolus as part of their functions in cell cycle progression and stem cell biology. 

Potential Rotation Projects

Detection and live cell intranuclear tracking of microRNAs involved in muscle cell differentiation.

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based detection of RNA-protein interactions in vivo.

Embryonic stem cell-specific aspects of nuclear organization and RNA-protein dynamics.

Office: B4-337
Phone: 508-856-8667
Fax: 508-856-8668
E-mail: Thoru.Pederson@umassmed.edu
Keywords: RNA Biology, Stem Cell Biology, Gene Expression, Nuclear Architecture, RNA Interference (RNAi)

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