Ivaylo Yonchev

Research Focus

Messenger RNAs undergo numerous processing steps both during and following their transcription, including 5’ capping, splicing and polyadenylation. Hundreds of RNA-binding proteins associate with nascent mRNAs to direct and regulate these steps. One major class of RBP is the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs). The members of this family, termed A through to U, perform roles in multiple stages of nucleic acid metabolism ranging from transcription regulation to RNA transport throughout the cell. My work focuses on investigating the role of hnRNPs in regulating the transcription and stability of various classes of RNAs, through a wide breadth of molecular biology and high throughput sequencing techniques, in order to gain insight on the molecular mechanisms of how hnRNP disruption can result in human disease.