The Robart Laboratory

Many human diseases arise from defects in RNA splicing and from the activity of mobile genetic elements, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes are still not fully understood. Our lab is dedicated to uncovering the chemical and structural principles that govern RNA catalysis, splicing, and mobility, with the long-term goal of translating this knowledge into new biotechnologies and therapeutic strategies.

Group II introns are ancient ribozymes thought to be the evolutionary ancestors of the spliceosome and modern retroelements. They provide a powerful model for understanding how catalytic RNAs fold, assemble with proteins, and spread within genomes. By dissecting these systems, we aim to uncover fundamental insights into the origins of splicing, the drivers of genome instability, and the mechanisms of ribonucleoprotein complex formation and mobility.

DNAzymes are catalytic DNA molecules that challenge the long-held view of DNA as solely an information carrier. Despite their discovery decades ago, structural knowledge remains rare, leaving basic questions about how DNA folds into enzymatic architectures and catalyzes diverse reactions. Our work seeks to define the mechanistic rules of DNAzyme catalysis. These studies open new avenues for both fundamental chemistry and the design of DNA-based tools for RNA recognition and therapeutic targeting.

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Together, these complementary projects allow us to probe nucleic acids as catalytic molecules and mobile genetic elements. By integrating structural biology with biochemical and molecular approaches, we aim to advance our understanding of the chemistry that drives genome function and evolution, while laying the groundwork for next-generation applications in biotechnology and medicine.