We are thrilled to share that the European Research Council has awarded the Petzold Lab an Advanced Grant. This five-year project (DynaMech), will allow us to study the impact of RNA dynamics on cellular function, by measuring it directly in the cell.
Do you need RNase stable RNAs? Circularize them! The structure is maintained and often the dynamics too. AND – plot twist – if not, than you find that the otherwise boring A-form RNA helices actually have a function: Long-distance transport of dynamic information, otherwise called Allostery. Congrats Katja and Henry!!
We are happy to welcome a new M.Sc. student to our lab: Julian Fischer from Goethe University (Frankfurt, Germany). Welcome!
Imagine if one of RNA’s most common 3D contacts could switch off and on. In our preprint, we identified the A-minor switch that can reversibly “escape” their tertiary contacts, revealing a dynamic regulatory layer in RNA structure (shown by NMR & Cryo-EM and assayed in ribosomes). Read more: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.05.08.718354v1
Enabling 1H R1ρ NMR measurements even when NOE’s are present allowed us to identify one more excited state in the Hoogsteen to Watson-Crick-Franklin equilibrium. Have a look here!
We are happy to welcome Adetutu Oyinloye to the lab as a new Erasmus internship student. She will work on microRNA targeting. Welcome!
We are happy to announce that our work recently got published in PNAS. In this study, we introduce a method to boost the sensitivity of RNA NMR by attaching a special spin label (AsymPol) directly to RNA. This enables selective signal enhancement, opening possibilities for studying RNA structure and function even at very low concentrations. Read more: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2531087123
We are also currently looking for a motivated postdoc to explore RNA regulation, microRNAs and RNA dynamics in a supportive, international research environment. Read more here! Application deadline: February 23, 2026
We are currently searching for a highly motivated PhD student to join the project Cellular Structural biology/Biophysics focused on RNA structural dynamics and regulation inside living cells. Read more here! Application deadline: February 20, 202
We are happy to welcome Moa Hedman and Tilde Eklöf as new B.Sc. students to our lab. They will work on microRNA targeting. Welcome!