SBME Research Seminar: The RNA folding problem remains open – Dr. Rhiju Das
The discovery and design of biologically important RNA molecules has lagged behind proteins, in part due to the general difficulty of three-dimensional RNA structural characterization. What are the prospects for an ‘AlphaFold moment’ for RNA? I’ll describe some recent progress in modeling RNA structure from old-fashioned and new machine learning, cryoelectron microscopy, and current and upcoming internet-scale competitions hosted on the Eterna, Kaggle, and CASP platforms.
SBME Research Seminar: The RNA folding problem remains open – Dr. Rhiju Das
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Research Seminar: Engineering next-generation tumour organoids – Dr. Matthias Lütolf
May 14 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm PDT
Organoids are the gold standard for 3D in vitro cancer modelling. Yet, they fall short in capturing cancer’s complexity, lacking the diversity, tissue organization, durability, and experimental flexibility required. Therefore, it is still difficult to study many cancer processes ex vivo. By integrating microfabrication, cell and organoid engineering, we have developed topobiologically complex ‘mini-colons’ from mouse and human stem cells that can undergo tumour development ex vivo. These systems enable precise spatio-temporal control of tumorigenic transformation, allowing tumours to be tracked in real time. They mirror key pathophysiological hallmarks of colorectal tumours in vivo, offering rich intratumoral and intertumoral diversity. By refining multiple cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic parameters, they can be used to uncover tumorigenic determinants and pharmacological avenues. Overall, our study paves the way for future cancer research beyond traditional models.
Professor Matthias Lutolf is the founding director of Roche’s Institute of Human Biology (IHB) where he leads the Translational Bioengineering department. The IHB focuses on pioneering research in organoids, human biology, and translational bioengineering, bridging the gap between academic and pharmaceutical research. Lutolf’s academic journey began at ETH Zurich, where he studied materials engineering and earned a PhD in biomedical engineering. Following his postdoctoral studies at Stanford University, he established his own laboratory at EPFL in 2007. From 2014 to 2018, he served as the director of EPFL’s Institute of Bioengineering. Lutolf’s own research at IHB is dedicated to developing advanced bioengineering strategies to create next-generation organoids with enhanced reproducibility and physiological relevance, essential for early drug development. His teams’ work has been published in renowned journals such as Nature and Science. Additionally, his innovations have led to the commercialization of products, including devices and assays for personalized medicine, and the co-founding of biotech startups in Lausanne.
Wednesday, May 14, 2025 from 11 am – 12 pm
Lecture Theatre B1009
Gordon B Shrum Building
6088 University Boulevard
+ Zoom