Griffith University researchers have developed an artificial intelligence method to predict human RNA structures, one of the fundamental building blocks of life.
RNA works in tandem with the DNA both to encode human’s genes as well as to switch genes on and off.
Lead researcher, Yaoqi Zhou says the model is a world-first and allows them to look at the structure of RNA with great accuracy.
“With this tool I think it will give us a better idea about what [the RNA] is doing by getting its structure, and from there we can try to make some sense of what the function of that structure is,” Professor Zhou said.
RNA is being implicated as the potential cause of some cancers, and also forms the main genetic information of most viruses due to its ability to rapidly mutate, rather than the more rigid DNA.