A small RNA switch with huge potential opens up new possibilities for synthetic biology

An international research team led by TU Darmstadt Professor Beatrix Süß, working in close collaboration with partners in Germany and Denmark, has elucidated how an RNA switch newly developed at TU Darmstadt recognizes the antibiotic doxycycline and thereby selectively activates or deactivates gene expression. This makes doxycycline a promising basis for synthetic biology and, potentially, for gene therapies as well. The team recently published its findings in Nature Communications.