Scientists at IOCB Prague develop a new method for enzymatic synthesis of potential RNA therapeutics

A team of researchers at IOCB Prague led by Prof. Michal Hock has developed a novel method for preparing ribonucleic acid (RNA) containing modified bases. Innovative use of engineered DNA polymerases, enzymes commonly used for synthesis of DNA, lead to development of a general method for the synthesis of RNA modified only at selected sites or even RNA containing various modifications at all nucleotide building blocks.

This opens the door to applications in chemical biology and, in a longer perspective, in the therapy of hitherto incurable diseases. The paper was published in the renowned journal Nature Communications.