RNA Club

The NIH RNA Club is a Regional Interest Group, formed in the early 1990s, that serves researchers at the NIH as well as researchers from Johns Hopkins University, The University of Maryland, George Washington University, Georgetown University, the Virginia Commonwealth University, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.

Regular meetings of the RNA Club occur at 4:00 PM on the first Tuesday of each month (except July & August) in Building 31 Room 2A48 on the NIH main Campus. Parking is available in the visitor parking lot across from Building 31A (contact Rich Maraia for a parking coupon). The meetings consist of two 25-minute presentations of recent results. Meetings are open to interested individuals. The RNA Club moderator is usually Richard Maraia.

RNA Club interests include pre-mRNA processing, including capping, splicing, polyadenylation and export, as well as tRNA processing, subcellular trafficking and localization, RNA folding, RNA structure, modifications including editing, RNA-protein interactions, RNA-RNA interactions including microRNAs, RNA stability, translation, RNA viruses, transcriptional regulation, and occasionally RNA magic, all with increasing emphasis on structure and function.

In addition to its regular meetings, the NIH RNA Club occasionally hosts Wednesday Afternoon Lecture (WALs) speakers invited by the NIH Director after nomination by the RNA Club. We can also help organize RNA-related Symposia for the NIH Research Festival. In addition, the RNA Club LISTSERV can be used to announce other seminars of interest to the group, requests for reagents, etc.

To become aware of the schedule of speakers simply join the RNA Club and you will be added to the list server and receive seminar announcements. When a PI agrees to be added to a specific date on the RNA Club talk schedule, they can talk themselves or appoint someone from their lab; in the latter case the appointee should be a fellow with a good story and known to be a good presenter or he/she go through a practice talk with the PI.