Welcome to the
MacRae Lab

Nearly every cell in the human body contains members of a family of programmable gene-silencing proteins named Argonaute. Argonaute family proteins use small RNAs (such as siRNAs, miRNAs, and piRNAs) to survey the cellular transcriptome and identify genes to be repressed or silenced. Gene regulation by the Argonautes is a critical part of many physiological process, including heart health and development, memory and learning, aging and longevity, and the progression of cancer. Recent successes in the clinic have demonstrated that Argonaute's regulatory power can be harnessed as a therapeutic and used to silence disease-causing genes. 

Our lab is studying Argonaute proteins, small RNAs, and the molecular complexes they form from a structural and mechanistic perspective. Our goal is to learn to leverage the extraordinary regulatory properties of these molecules towards the further development of Argonaute-based therapeutics, which have tremendous potential for improving human health. Our efforts have led us into three main areas of research: