Research Scientists Publications Media Join the RNALab

The Laboratory for RNA-Based Lifeforms (RNAlab) @ University of Toronto is a combined Computational and Molecular research team. Our passion is in understanding the interplay between RNA elements and Genetics. The primary domain where we interrogate this question is through the exploration of the vast evolution and biodiversity of Earth’s RNA viruses.

Our Work

Building The Foundations for Planetary-Scale Genomics

The growth of DNA and RNA sequencing data is staggering, outpacing Moore’s Law. Public databases now hold 120+ petabytes of raw sequencing data from more than 30 million samples, and this amount doubles every 24 months. Samples span from experimental cancer cells in a lab at the University of Toronto to anal swabs of wild penguins in Antarctica, and everything in between. Beyond their intended purpose, these data also hold genetic sequences from viruses and other genetic parasites in the samples. Yet they remain unanalyzed.

Our mission is to illuminate the epic diversity of infectious agents on Earth. To accomplish this we are developing computational techniques that not only enable a new era of petabase-scale genomics but also help scientists grok how genetic parasites interconnect life across our planet. Beyond merely discovering fringe virus and virus-like entities, we pursue understanding how these elements impact biology and health. For example, is there a viral cause for diseases of unknown etiology such as Alzheimer’s Disease, Crohn’s Disease, endometriosis, or cancer?


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