2024 – Our group, in collaboration with Harvard Medical School, publishes a study in Science on the mitochondrial mRNA structurome

Our group, with Dr. Conor Moran as the first author, has published a collaborative study with Harvard that advances our understanding of mitochondrial mRNA structure. This research underscores the critical role of maintaining mitochondrial mRNA folding, demonstrated using a cell line deficient in the leucine-rich pentatricopeptide repeat–containing protein (LRPPRC). LRPPRC acts as a holdase, stabilizing mRNA structure and supporting mitochondrial translation.

We are proud to celebrate the contributions of all our co-authors: Dr. J. Conor Moran, Dr. Antoni Barrientos, Dr. Flavia Fontanesi, and Dr. Michele Brischigliaro. They are featured in the photo with the cover of the journal issue, designed by Dr. Barrientos.

For more details, you can read the published article here.

The relevance of our findings has also been recognized in the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine website news section.

Moreover, Dr. Conor Moran, our former lab member, has been featured on the same webpage as an exemplary Medical Scientist Trainee. He successfully balanced groundbreaking research with his medical school training. His dedication, culminating in this article and numerous others during his Ph.D., highlights the exceptional work that led to his doctoral degree.