BioGENext Series | Season 2 | Lecture_3

We are pleased to invite you to the upcoming lecture of BioGENext Series:

Speaker: Prof. Janusz M. Bujnicki, Prof., Head of the Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Protein Engineering at the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, Poland

Topic: Structural bioinformatics of RNA folding, interactions, and modifications

Language of the lecture: English

Date & Time: November 25, 2025, at 18:00

Venue: Kyiv School of Economics, ICU Event Hall, 3 Mykoly Shpaka St., Kyiv, Ukraine

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules are central regulators of cellular processes. Their ability to fold into specific 3D structures and interact with proteins, small molecules, and ions underlies gene regulation, catalysis, and molecular recognition. To understand these functions, it is essential to characterize not only the static architecture of RNA but also its dynamic behavior and the influence of chemical modifications that can modulate folding and interactions. Experimental approaches to determine RNA structure and dynamics remain challenging, especially for flexible or partially disordered regions. Computational modeling offers a complementary route, yet its accuracy and scope are limited by system complexity and sampling constraints.

He was present strategies that combine coarse-grained and hybrid modeling to study RNA folding, RNA–protein interactions, and the structural consequences of chemical modifications. These approaches are implemented in a suite of methods developed in my laboratory, for folding and complex formation, and for motif identification and model evaluation. Together, these methods enable efficient prediction and analysis of RNA 3D structures across diverse biological contexts, bridging experimental and theoretical perspectives.

References

1. Boniecki M. et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 44, e63 (2016)

2. Mukherjee S. et al., Structure 32(11):1860-1876 (2024)

3. Loureiro RJ et al., Curr Opin Struct Biol. 94:103137 (2025)

Interactive live session format

The lecture will take place in a hybrid format: the speaker will join online, while participants will gather onsite at the Kyiv School of Economics.

An onsite moderator will facilitate real-time discussion between the audience and the lecturer, ensuring an engaging and interactive experience.

After the lecture, we invite all attendees to stay for an informal networking session — an opportunity to exchange ideas, meet fellow researchers, and continue the conversation over coffee.

Janusz M. Bujnicki is a Professor of Biology and leads a research group at IIMCB in Warsaw, Poland. His group integrates bioinformatics with structural biology, focusing on understanding how RNA molecule sequences encode their 3D structures, and determine the interactions and biological functions.

Bujnicki's research interests encompass the combination of theory with experiment, integration of various data types, molecular simulations, scientific uncertainties, and the interplay between science and decision-making. His notable contributions to science include the development of methods for computational modeling of protein and RNA 3D structures, as well as the discovery and characterization of enzymes involved in post-transcriptional modification of RNA. He has authored over 350 publications, which have been cited more than 13,000 times.

Currently, the Bujnicki group focuses on experimental determination and theoretical analyses of RNA structures and their complexes with other molecules, using computational modeling together with cryo-electron microscopy, X-ray crystallography, and other biochemical and biophysical techniques. One of the goals of their research is to identify small chemical molecules that act on RNAs involved in various diseases (e.g., viral genomic RNAs) and could be candidates for future drugs.