Aviner Lab

Ribosomes are ancient molecular machines responsible for protein synthesis across all kingdoms of life. They are also major regulators of cellular health and disease.

Ribosomes exist as dynamic heterogenous subpopulations that preferentially produce different sets of proteins. Such heterogenicity is driven by modifications of the core ribosome and recruitment of non-ribosomal proteins to specific motifs on ribosomal RNA, mRNA or nascent polypeptide chains.

These form remarkably intricate networks that govern RNA metabolism, translation rate and fidelity, and protein folding, function and half-life. Many components of these networks are disrupted in human disease.