“DNA makes RNA and RNA makes proteins” states the central dogma of molecular biology enunciated by Francis Crick in 1956.
In this picture, DNA carries the genetic information, proteins perform function and RNA is seen mere messenger. After the completion of the human genome project in 2003, it has become clear that only a very tiny fraction of our DNA (1.5%) codes for proteins, while most of the remaining component of the genome (traditionally regarded as junk) is transcribed to RNA and it is biologically active. For example, RNA is the essential constituent of the ribosome, the factory for protein synthesis and the major bacterial target for antibiotics.
A growing number of recent studies revealed that RNA molecules play a fundamental role in a myriad of biological processes that are still not understood when not completely unknown.
Many structured RNAs are biological machines that undergo changes and interact with other molecules during their function, just like gears, ratchets and springs in a clockwork.
I study the functional dynamics of RNA molecules at atomistic detail using molecular simulations. By starting from the fundamental principles in Physics and Chemistry, I build and assess the accuracy of computational models that (hopefully!) will allow to tackle problems in Biology and Medicine that cannot be investigated using experiments alone.
The final goal of my research is to enable the atomic-detailed characterization of biomolecules, the mechanistic understanding of biological processes, with applications in the design of novel drugs for therapeutical purposes.
