Joanna Kowalska

This study identifies conserved aromatic residues in FTO that recognize the mRNA 5' cap and enhance m6Am demethylation, providing structural insights into FTO's selectivity for m6Am over m6A.

The paper identifies sequence-encoded autoinhibition in fission yeast Dcp2 that regulates mRNA decapping activity and shows how conformational relief is propagated within phase-separated condensates.

This paper reports engineered FTO mutants that selectively demethylate m6A or m6Am RNA modifications, enabling study of their distinct biological roles.

This study characterizes the trypanosome mRNA decapping enzyme ALPH1, showing it preferentially cleaves non-m7G-capped RNAs and produces diphosphate-RNA.

The paper develops segmented polyA tail designs to improve DNA stability and mRNA translatability, finding that longer segmented tails significantly enhance protein production.

This paper introduces a chemical method to circularize in vitro transcribed RNA, producing chemically circularized RNAs (chem-circRNAs) with high efficiency and compatibility with modifications.

This study reveals how ascorbate regulates FODD enzyme activity and substrate selectivity, providing structural insights into its role in RNA demethylation and broader biological oxidation reactions.

This study develops an MST-based assay to assess IFIT1 binding to various capped RNAs, revealing new preferences for canonical and non-canonical RNA caps.

The paper identifies five capped RNA substrates for SARS-CoV-2 nsp10-nsp16 methyltransferase using an LC-MS-based method and determines the IC50 of sinefungin.