In the 50 years since RNA was identified as a central component in the flow of genetic information, it has become increasingly clear that RNA is more than a mere messenger and performs many diverse and interesting functions. RNAs are known to play central roles across numerous biological processes required for cell viability and function. Moreover, prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes are pervasively transcribed to generated many additional RNAs with unknown functions, raising the question: What else does RNA do?
This symposium will explore the diverse, dynamic and multifaceted roles of RNA across a spectrum of cellular processes. Yet, framed in interdisciplinary discussion of the roles of non-coding RNAs with the aim of enhancing our understanding of gene regulation and function. Topics will include recent discoveries in the fields of prokaryotic and eukaryotic long and short non-coding RNAs. Collectively aiming to further understand the noncoding RNA transcriptional and regulatory landscape.