Ryla Cantorgenali
Role
Fifth-year PhD student.
Main Scientific Area
Programmable RNA circuits in Sendai vectors, especially microRNA-regulated vector behavior.
Projects
IRP2 microRNA ON-gate
- Original/major project around IRP2 / iron-response-protein-2 logic.
- Goal: engineer vectors that turn on when specific microRNAs are present, conceptually inverse to microRNA OFF-gates.
- Status: systematic effort but struggling; approximately one month remaining before possible termination if no decisive progress.
microRNA OFF-gate stem-cell sensor
- Uses established lab microRNA OFF-gate technology.
- Built Sendai-based sensors, including a system reported as red in stem cells and green in differentiated cells.
- Planned use: single-cell sequencing during stem-cell-to-hepatocyte differentiation to determine why some cells become stuck and when stem cells acquire typical interferon responses.
Christina Higgins legacy project
- Finishing an almost-ready-to-publish project inherited from Christina Higgins.
- Ryla expected to be first author.
Expertise
- RNA circuit design.
- Sendai vector construction.
- Stem-cell differentiation applications.
- Single-cell sequencing readouts.