Presented by: Elisa Franco, Ph.D., Professor

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Department of Bioengineering

UCLA

 

Friday, November 20, 2026,1:00 p.m. (Pizza will be provided at 12:30 p.m.)

 

Emory University HSRB II N100

 

Can't attend in person? 

Virtual Link: https://zoom.us/j/97421219805?pwd=b2ZUZElTQ044anlVbFRib2VIQk1IQT09

 

Meeting ID: 974 2121 9805 | Password: 556677

 

Dial by your location: +1 470 381 2552 US (Atlanta)

 

Artificial biomolecular condensates make it possible to organize cellular molecules and control intracellular processes. Our recent work presents a modular RNA-based strategy for building condensates in living mammalian cells using single-stranded RNA motifs. As these RNA molecules are transcribed, they fold into stem–loop structures that drive condensation through loop–loop interactions, forming RNA-rich compartments in both the nucleus and cytoplasm. The motifs can be systematically designed to create distinct condensate populations that remain separate, and to control their subcellular localization. Sequence-specific modifications enable recruitment of small molecules, proteins, and other RNAs to the condensate phase. In addition, RNA linkers can assemble condensates with multiple subcompartments, with their internal organization controlled by linker stoichiometry. This programmable platform provides a versatile approach for engineering molecular organization in living cells and for investigating how spatial arrangement influences cellular function.

 

 

Elisa Franco is a Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, where her research integrates biomolecular engineering, synthetic biology, and DNA/RNA nanotechnology. Her work focuses on engineering programmable nucleic acid condensates and dynamic biomolecular circuits for spatiotemporal control in living cells. Recent breakthroughs include the development of programmable artificial RNA condensates in mammalian cells (Nature Nanotechnology, 2026) and switchable RNA motifs for dynamic transcriptional control (Nucleic Acids Research, 2025). Her awards include major NSF and NIH grants for developing synthetic RNA organelles and phase-separation-controlled chemical reaction networks. Franco collaborates extensively with institutions across the US, Europe, and Asia, including Caltech, Harvard, TU Munich, and the University of Cambridge.