Research Project Carolina Khoury (Bester Lab) Identification and Characterization Functional LncRNAs in metabolic pathways in the cell

Ever since the central dogma of molecular biology, RNA has been considered as a template for the synthesis of protein. Later, these RNAs are found to be a small fraction of the total RNA in the cell, as the discovery of non-coding RNA -ncRNA. The largest and most diverse group of ncRNA in the human genome is called long non-coding RNA -lncRNA.. lncRNA is defined as transcripts that are longer than 200 nucleotides, and they are not translated into proteins. Over the last decade, researchers have begun to emphasize the importance of the function of various lncRNA’s, linking them to diverse diseases and major biological functions such as apoptosis, metastasis, proliferation, cellular metabolism..Recent work shows that many human diseases involve abnormal metabolic states that disturb normal physiology and lead to tissue dysfunction. Cellular metabolism can be defined as all the controlled chemical reactions that occur inside our cells, and they consist of different pathways that either produce or consume energy. Defining these pathways and understanding their physiological roles have been the focus of much attention, especially in the context of aging and cancer. While the role of protein-coding genes is intensely studied, the interaction between lncRNA and cellular metabolism is yet to unfold.In my study, I will identify and characterize lncRNAs affecting the metabolism of human cancer cells. The overall goal of this study is to shed light on the role of lncRNAs in physiology and to identify new therapeutic avenues to fight cancer.