Rising Star: Folding Pattern and Working Mechanism of Functional RNA Molecules

Aiming Ren obtained her Ph.D. in Structural Biology and Chemical Biology from the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and conducted postdoctoral research at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she investigated RNA molecules involved in gene expression regulation (riboswitches) and self-cleavage catalysis (ribozymes). Ren later established her independent laboratory at Zhejiang University, focusing on the structural and mechanistic understanding of functional RNAs-particularly riboswitches, self-cleaving ribozymes, and RNA fluorogenic aptamers (FLAP). These RNA molecules represent elegant examples of RNA nature's regulatory, catalytic, and fluorescence activation strategies, performing precise chemical transformations and sophisticated functional control through dynamic structural rearrangements. The Ren laboratory combines biochemical and molecular biological approaches with high-resolution structural techniques, including X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy, to elucidate how RNA architectures encode regulatory, catalytic, and activation functions. Through systematic investigations, Ren and her team have explored how riboswitches couple ligand recognition to gene regulation via dynamic conformational shifts, uncovered the catalytic mechanisms of several newly discovered self-cleaving ribozymes, revealing both shared structural principles and unique chemical strategies underlying RNA self-scission. The group also investigated how RNA aptamers fold to stabilize the bound dyes and enhance their fluorescence by several thousand-fold. By bridging RNA chemistry, structure, and dynamics, Aiming Ren's research aims to illuminate the fundamental principles governing RNA function and evolution. Her work provides deep insights into RNA-based regulation, catalysis, and fluorescence activation, offering important implications for understanding ancient biochemical systems and for the development of novel RNA-based tools and therapeutics.