Saurja DasGupta

RNA plays a crucial role in biology, and its significance continues to grow as new discoveries are made. The DasGupta lab focuses on a holistic exploration of RNA, investigating RNA structure, function, and evolution. By studying its structure, the group explores how its three-dimensional shape influences its function and its interactions with other biomolecules. Professor DasGupta's group is deeply interested in a special class of RNA molecules, called Ribozymes, that show catalytic activity. They use biochemistry, high-throughput sequencing, and structural biology approaches to understand how this special class of RNA molecules catalyze chemical reactions when most RNAs do not. They are also interested in the evolutionary processes that allow RNA molecules to adapt to new functions like enzyme catalysis or ligand binding (as in aptamers). The group routinely uses combinatorial techniques like in vitro selection and directed evolution to discover RNAs de novo that perform functions not found in biology.

Professor DasGupta has a concurrent appointment in the Department of Biological Sciences.