We study various translation control mechanisms that regulate the production of specific sets of proteins through chemical modifications of transfer RNA (tRNA) and other RNA molecules. Every protein in the cell is produced by the ribosome, which uses tRNA molecules to translate the sequence information encoded in mRNA into correctly assembled polypeptide chains. The decoding and translation of genetic information are based on the recognition of a codon by its corresponding tRNA anticodon triplet.

The lab focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that lead to the specific base modifications in tRNAs and their cellular consequences. These modifications have a strong influence on the stability of tRNAs and the efficiency/accuracy of codon–anticodon pairing. Therefore, these mechanisms regulate the translational rates and folding dynamics of protein synthesis. Recent findings have shown that alterations of these modification pathways play important roles in the onset of certain neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.