The ribonucleoprotien, telomerase is a reverse transcriptase currently in research because of its potential use as an anti-aging as well as anti-cancer therapy. Although the structure of telomerase remains ambiguous, it was recently discovered that telomerase has its own RNA component. The interaction between the RNA sub unit and the protein subunit that it binds to in telomerase remains unknown. For my senior research project, I will be expressing the two sub units of telomerase in bacterial cells in an attempt to ascertain more about the structure and function of this complex enzyme.
Telomerase inhibitors are what some anti-cancer biotechs were/are working on. Are you looking at inhibiting actions, or are you undertaking a broader understanding of telomerase?
ReplyDeleteMy project is to study the structure of telomerase itself, so I'd be taking a more broader understanding of telomerase
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