AI reveals nature of RNA-protein interactions

A new computational tool developed by KAUST scientists uses artificial intelligence (AI) to infer the RNA-binding properties of proteins. The software, called NucleicNet, outperforms other algorithmic models of its kind and provides additional biological insights that could aid in drug design and development. "RNA binding is a fundamental feature of many proteins," says Jordy Homing Lam, a former research associate at KAUST and co-first author of the study. "Our structure-based computational framework can reveal the detailed RNA-binding properties of these proteins, which is important for characterizing the pathology of many diseases." Proteins routinely interface with RNA molecules as a way to control the processing and transporting of gene transcripts--and when these interactions go awry, information flow inside the cell is disrupted and disorders can arise, including cancer and neurodegenerative disease.