Research

Valadkhan lab is interested in the role of non-protein-coding RNA molecules in higher eukaryotes, especially in human. It has been recently shown that ~99% of the RNAs transcribed from the human genome do not code for proteins, but function as long untranslated RNA molecules. This intriguing discovery will have a huge impact on the way we think about cellular function. It is becoming increasingly evident that these long non-protein-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are playing highly critical roles in the cell, and recent data suggests that they form highly complex regulatory pathways that have made the enormous complexity of human body possible. In fact, there are some reports that suggest that these RNAs are responsible for us, humans, being different from other primates! Our research focuses on the function of this class of RNAs in cellular differentiation and homeostasis, with particular emphasis on neurogenesis and cancer.
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