SFB 1309 Research Areas
Area C: Mechanisms and Tools
Project C09 – Mechanistic foundations of canonical and non-Canonical ribozymic chemical transformations
Known naturally occurring RNA-based enzymes, called ribozymes, are limited in their reactivity to phosphoryl transfer reactions. Recently, the discovery of artificial ribozymes has extended the toolbox of available chemical transformations, for example to methyltransferase activity. We will investigate, via the combination of theoretical modeling and NMR spectroscopy, the enzymatic mechanisms of ribozymes, with the goal to develop an overarching understanding of their functional diversity. Our research will facilitate the rational development of targeted chemical transformations in future artificial ribozymes.
