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New RNA tool to advance cancer and infectious disease research and treatment


SMART researchers have developed a tool capable of scanning thousands of biological samples to detect transfer RNA (tRNA) modifications — tiny chemical changes to RNA that help control how cells grow, adapt to stress, and respond to diseases such as cancer and antibiotic‑resistant infections.

Current molecular methods used to study the expansive epitranscriptome and all of the thousands of different types of modified RNA are often slow, labor-intensive, costly, and involve hazardous chemicals, which limits research capacity and speed. To solve this problem, the SMART team developed a new tool that enables fast, automated profiling of tRNA modifications — molecular changes that regulate how cells survive, adapt to stress, and respond to disease. “Leveraging AMR’s expertise in mass spectrometry and RNA epitranscriptomics, our research uncovers new methods to detect complex gene networks critical for understanding and treating cancer, as well as antibiotic-resistant infections.

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