Welcome to the Malaney Lab!
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) can be metaphorically compared to octopuses, where each tentacle symbolizes a discrete regulatory function within the cell. Through their specialized RNA-binding domain, these RBPs regulate RNA splicing, modification, export, translation, and stability. Beyond their primary RNA-centric roles, RBPs extend their influence on other critical functions such as transcription, chromatin remodeling, and signal transduction.
Altogether, it is estimated that RBPs account for about 7.5% of the protein coding genome in humans. Given their critical role in regulating the gene expression profile of the cell, RBPs are frequently dysregulated in cancer and other neurological diseases. The Malaney Lab uses a combination of biochemistry, cell biology, and mouse modelling to study how RBPs maintain cellular homeostasis and how these processes go awry in disease.