Development of optical probes based on encoded aptamers for RNA visualization in live cells

RNA is the carrier of genetic information from DNA to proteins. In addition, non-coding RNAs have been found to assist in many essential regulatory functions, which are still being discovered and studied. To fully understand RNAs' varied functions, there is increasing interest in developing methods to visualize them in live cells. In this project we propose to develop a series of small-molecule probes which in combination with an encoded aptamer will be used to visualize RNA dynamics in live cells. To achieve this, we will build on recent optical probes developed in our group which have unique photophysical properties; in combination with the proposed aptamers, it will yield the first encoded RNA visualization tool that employs fluorescence lifetime to study RNA dynamics in single cells. We will also aim to develop this further to utilize super-resolution microscopy. This multidisciplinary project will involve the development of new small-molecule optical probes, nucleic acid chemical biology, and live cell microscopy.