Biological Activity of the RNA

Since it was created in 1995 the group has always been focused on the biological activity of RNA. The addressed objectives have led us to nowadays focusing in the functional characterization of genomic RNA motifs and the characterization of the RNA as tool and therapeutic target. Knowledge of the existence of information encoded in the RNA that does not lead to protein products and its functional implications, has been a major revolution in understanding the biology of the cell and many infectious agents such as RNA viruses. Several events during the viral infection cycle require the presence of functional domains of the viral RNA genome. The identification and characterization of these functional elements is essential to understand the viral cycle and to select new therapeutic targets that allow the development of antiviral agents. Being the RNA the firmest candidate for the development of inhibitors to specifically interfere with the function of RNA domains.