CBE Colloquia - Programmable RNA/RNP Switches for Cell-Specific Gene Control and Next-Generation

We develop technologies by engineering RNA and RNA–protein complexes to control gene expression and cell functions. This talk presents two miRNA-responsive mRNA switches. The first, an OFF switch, blocks translation in cells with specific miRNAs, enabling negative selection but limiting purification. To solve this, we designed an ON switch that activates translation in response to the same miRNA. Adding a short artificial sequence beyond the poly(A) tail greatly improved its function. These tools enable efficient cell purification in vitro and targeted gene expression in vivo, aiding safer mRNA and cell therapies. I will also outline future work in “genes & cell reprogramming,” combining RNA design, AI-driven sequence search, and evolution to create functional RNAs and RNPs for new therapies.