With this award, the Molecular Foundations for Biotechnology (MFB) Program is funding Drs. Chaolin Zhang and Harris H. Wang from Columbia University to engineer modular proteins that can be programmed to precisely edit sequences of RNA messages or control the expression of genes encoded in these messenger RNAs in human cells. This project adapts a unique class of plant proteins, called pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins that naturally recognize RNA sequences through a modular code. Such proteins will overcome limitations of current RNA-targeting technologies, including imprecise binding and difficulties in introducing them into cells. PPR proteins will be custom designed to bind specific RNA targets with high accuracy, and their performance tested in human cells and compared to existing technologies. In parallel, the project will include community outreach and education through workshops hosted with a public biology lab in New York City, offering hands-on experiences in RNA biology and biotechnology to citizen scientists. Overall, this work could lead to powerful new RNA-based tools with broad applications in biotechnology, agriculture and medicine, while also promoting public understanding and engagement with cutting-edge biological science. The technical goal of this research is to establish a versatile and high-performance platform for programmable RNA targeting using engineered PPR proteins. The team will apply computational approaches to decipher the natural code