Develop new bioinformatics infrastructures and computational tools for epitranscriptomics data

Project Summary
Dynamic mRNA modifications, such as the m6A-dependent regulation at the mRNA level, add a
critical new dimension to post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. The rapid development
of sequencing technologies has transformed the field of epitranscriptomics studies by resulting in the
successful profiling transcriptome-wide RNA modifications under different states and conditions. They
hold the promise to reveal regulatory machinery of RNA modifications, which contributes to almost
every phase of mRNA metabolism and function, thereby impacting diverse biological processes. How-
ever, analytical developments in epitranscriptomics lag far behind the pace of technological discovery,
and the bioinformatic infrastructure available for epitranscriptomic studies remains limited. The overar-
ching goal of this proposal is to address three most pressing challenges facing profiling and interpreting
epitranscriptomics. Specifically, we will achieve the following aims: Aim1. Develop statistical methods
for RNA modification detection at single nucleotide resolution. Aim 2. Develop computational meth-
ods for cell type-specific methylation analysis. Aim 3. Develop web servers that enable integrating
RNA modification with a rich catalog of genomics features. All the methods will be implemented in
user-friendly software and disseminated to the scientific community. Successful achievement of all
aims will dramatically increase the power of epitranscriptomes analysis, leading to better understand-
ing of regulatory mechanisms in RNA modifications and their implications in phenotypes and human
diseases.

Grant Number: 5R01HG012927-03
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: Mengjie Chen