TRR 440:  smART: specific mRNA targeting

• Subject Area: Chemistry ; Biology ; Medicine
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 559567011

No abstract available

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios

Current projects

• A01 - Targeting mRNAs in splicing: RNA splicing regulator elements and triplet repeats (Project Head Schwalbe, Harald )
• A02 - Targeting pre-mRNA splicing by photoswitches (Project Head Vazquez, Olalla )
• A03 - Engineered riboswitches that target mRNA splicing and pseudouridinylation (Project Head Süß, Beatrix )
• A04 - Targeting intron retention to control mRNA function (Project Head Dumbovic, Gabrijela )
• A05 - Targeting EFTUD2/LUCAT1-dependent mRNA fate decisions in pathogenic immunity (Project Head Schulte, Leon )
• A06 - Targeting architectural RNAs (arcRNAs) in biomolecular condensates to investigate their roles in mRNA retention (Project Heads Heilemann, Mike ;  Müller-McNicoll, Michaela )
• A07 - Targeting mRNA in translation and splicing: nanoscale monitoring of small molecule-mRNA binding interactions (Project Head Kuzhelev, Andrei )
• B02 - Targeting mRNA by gRNA-independent programmable RNA binding protein-effector systems (Project Head Becker, Anke )
• B03 - Targeting mRNA translation with light-sensitive smART probes (Project Head Heckel, Alexander )
• B04 - High-throughput characterization of RNA structure-ligand interactions (Project Head Weigand, Julia Erika )
• B05 - Targeting eukaryotic mRNAs: Regulation of mRNA structure and translation by Cbf5-mediated pseudouridylation (Project Head Sträßer, Katja )
• B06 - Defining how mRNA sequence and structure regulate translational states of the ribosome in cells (Project Head Beck, Martin )
• C01 - Cas7 protein-mediated stabilization for mRNA protection (Project Head Randau, Lennart )
• C02 - AI-based Bioinformatics Tools for the Analysis of Structured RNA and Structure-aware Prediction of Binding Sites of RNA-binding Proteins (Project Head Backofen, Rolf )
• C03 - Spontaneous RNAylation for mRNA protection: Discovery and scope of ADP-ribose-modified RNA in eukaryotes (Project Head Höfer, Katharina )
• C04 - Targeting RNA medicines: decorating therapeutic mRNA with RBPs for enhanced performance (Project Head Munschauer, Mathias )
• C05 - Utilizing host-pathogen interactions and vesicular communication for targeted mRNA delivery (Project Heads Schmeck, Bernd ;  Windbergs, Maike )
• C06 - Targeting mitochondrial mRNA abundance with small molecules (Project Head Tan, Ph.D., Benedict )
• MGK - Integrated Research Training Group smART-i (Project Heads Heckel, Alexander ;  Randau, Lennart )
• WIKO - RNA Therapeutics @ Classroom: High-School Student Experiments to Foster STEM Engagement (Project Head Wegscheid-Gerlach, Christof )
• Z01 - Central Tasks of the Collaborative Research Centre (Project Head Schwalbe, Harald )
• Z02 - Bioinformatics (Project Head Lechner, Marcus )

• Applicant Institution: Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main
• Co-Applicant Institution: Philipps-Universität Marburg
• Participating University: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg; Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen; Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg; Technische Universität Darmstadt
• Participating Institution: Max-Planck-Institut für Biophysik
• Business and Industry: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Harald Schwalbe