Randau



Research area: Prokaryotic Small RNA Biology

Our research is aimed at understanding the processing of small RNAs involved in the defense against integrative elements (e.g. viruses) in Bacteria and Archaea. First, we investigate the RNAs that play the central role in the prokaryotic CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) immune system. Second, we study the evolution of diverse disruptive elements within archaeal transfer RNA (tRNA) genes. These systems will be exploited for the modulation of prokaryotic immunity and the creation of gene knock-down technology. Our research uses an interdisciplinary approach combining computational, biochemical and microbiological techniques.