Expanding the RNA biology toolbox
The introduction of third-generation sequencing platforms is revolutionizing RNA biology studies. For the first time, these devices allow sequencing of native RNA molecules in their entirety and with the potential to capture chemical modifications that may regulate them. We are developing novel tools to characterize these and other RNA features: poly-A tails (tailfindr), RNA modifications and structure in a transcriptome-wide manner. Combining these novel approaches enable us to monitor and model regulation of RNA and translation in unprecedented ways.