“Our goal is to pave the way for research that contributes to a new generation of medical innovations,” say Erik Jansson and Lindon Moodie, who with a SEK 1.2 million grant from the Swedish Research Council are mapping the conditions to establish a Swedish cluster of excellence for large-scale mapping and analysis of RNA-protein interactions.”

The interactions between ribonucleic acid (RNA) and proteins regulate a number of vital processes in the cell. Increased knowledge of how these interactions affect the development of diseases will open important doors in pharmaceutical research, and now Uppsala University can become the hub in a technology platform for large-scale mapping and analysis of RNA-protein interactions, as Erik Jansson, Associate Professor at the Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, receives a 1.2 million grant from the Swedish Research Council to plan a cluster of excellence based at the Biomedical Center.

Research underway at the Faculty of Pharmacy

“Our ambition is to form a platform where we, by combining RNA sequencing, mass spectrometry, structure determination and AI, will build an open database that provides information about RNA-protein interactions from bacteria to humans. Once there, we aim to pave the way for research that identifies new targets for the treatment of infections, cancer and genetic diseases,” says Erik Jansson.

With the support of the Swedish Research Council, Erik Jansson – in collaboration with Lindon Moodie, Associate Professor at the Department of Medicinal Chemistry, and an interdisciplinary network of researchers at Uppsala University, Umeå University and Södertörn University – will spend the next six months mapping the conditions for interdisciplinary collaboration and utilizing the full potential these technologies enable.

“Before moving forward, we must analyze societal impact and ethical aspects, create structures for interdisciplinary education and define how we best promote exchange between universities. By 2026, we hope to have the answers we need and, with the continued trust of the Swedish Research Council, combine the expertise that will consolidate Sweden’s frontline position in RNA-protein research, influence international research priorities and, above all, contribute to a new generation of medical innovations,” states Lindon Moodie.

Source – Uppsala University