Professor Bob White FRSE FMedSci
Chair of Biochemistry
Research overview
The Biology of RNA polymerase III.
RNA polymerase (pol) III transcribes genes to produce tRNA and an eclectic mix of other short non-coding RNAs. Our research focuses on the molecular mechanisms and functional consequences of pol III regulation during cell differentiation, growth, proliferation and oncogenic transformation. This involves analyses of transcription factors and chromatin. We are also engaged in a programme of synthetic bioengineering aimed at enhancing production of recombinant products by manipulating pol III activity.
Recombinant monoclonal antibodies are a powerful class of therapeutics that are used to treat a wide range of diseases, including cancers and inflammatory disorders. However, they are expensive to produce and this restricts their availability to patients; health authorities sometimes cannot afford the costs of these therapies. Lowering production costs may increase access to potentially life-saving treatments. Through synthetic cell bioengineering, we are developing novel approaches to improve production of therapeutic proteins. One of our strategies is to manipulate tRNA expression to enhance translation of recombinant products, tailoring cells to match tRNA supply to specific demands. We aim to reduce costs and thereby increase availability to patients of therapeutics that are currently prohibitively expensive.
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References:
Butterfield, S.P., Sizer, R.E., Rand, E. and White, R.J. (2023). Selection of tRNA genes in human breast tumours varies substantially between individuals. Cancers 15, 3576.
Sizer, R. E., Butterfield, S. P., Hancocks, L. A., Gato De Sousa, L. and White, R. J. (2024) Selective occupation by E2F and RB of loci expressed by RNA polymerase III. Cancers 16, 481.
