The Pierce Lab
California Institute of Technology
Small Conditional RNAs
Our work is focused on engineering small conditional RNAs (scRNAs) that interact and change conformation to execute molecular logic in vitro, in situ, and in vivo. This research program exploits the programmable chemistry of nucleic acid base-pairing.
Molecular Instruments
To read out and regulate the state of biological systems, we seek to engineer small conditional RNAs that function as programmable molecular instruments within intact biological specimens. Technical support for multiplexed bioimaging using HCR in situ amplification is available at molecularinstruments.org.
Molecular Programming
To enable the systematic design of small conditional RNAs that execute diverse dynamic functions, we are working to develop mathematically rigorous, physically sound, computationally efficient algorithms for programming molecular function. Current algorithms are available at nupack.org. Our long-term goal is to develop a compiler for molecular programming that takes as input a modular conceptual device design and provides as output the sequences of scRNAs that interact to implement the desired function.
Mapping Free Energy Landscapes
To better elucidate and control the function of small conditional RNAs, we are working to model and experimentally validate the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of the free energy landscapes encoded within scRNA sequences.