{"693876":{"#nid":"693876","#data":{"type":"event","title":"Coulter BME Seminar: Elisa Franco, Ph.D., UCLA","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDeveloping Artificial RNA Organelles in Mammalian Cells\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EPresented by: Elisa Franco, Ph.D., Professor\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EDepartment of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EDepartment of Bioengineering\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EUCLA\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFriday, November 20, 2026,1:00 p.m. (Pizza will be provided at 12:30 p.m.)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EEmory University HSRB II N100\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ECan\u0027t attend in person?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVirtual Link:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/zoom.us\/j\/97421219805?pwd=b2ZUZElTQ044anlVbFRib2VIQk1IQT09\u0022 id=\u0022OWA73c6f58f-5d97-c246-8424-20a78461e5b7\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/zoom.us\/j\/97421219805?pwd=b2ZUZElTQ044anlVbFRib2VIQk1IQT09\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/zoom.us\/j\/97421219805?pwd=b2ZUZElTQ044anlVbFRib2VIQk1IQT09\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMeeting ID:\u003C\/strong\u003E 974 2121 9805 | Password: 556677\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDial by your location:\u003C\/strong\u003E +1 470 381 2552 US (Atlanta)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbstract:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EArtificial 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\u2013loop structures that drive condensation through loop\u2013loop 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.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBio:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EElisa 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.\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProf. Franco will discuss her latest research: Developing Artificial RNA Organelles in Mammalian Cells.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Attend Coulter BME\u0027s signature seminar series featuring top biomedical researchers."}],"uid":"35963","created_gmt":"2026-11-09 09:56:06","changed_gmt":"2026-11-09 12:17:17","author":"kpetty30","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-11-20T13:00:00-05:00","event_time_end":"2026-11-20T14:00:00-05:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-11-20T14:00:00-05:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-11-20 18:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-11-20 19:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-11-20 19:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"Emory University HSRB II N100","extras":[],"hg_media":{"681690":{"id":"681690","type":"image","title":"Coulter BME Seminar: Elisa Franco, Ph.D., UCLA","body":null,"created":"1794218751","gmt_created":"2026-11-09 10:05:51","changed":"1794226607","gmt_changed":"2026-11-09 12:16:47","alt":"Promotional graphic for Prof. Elise Franco Coulter BME seminar on Nov. 20, 2026.","file":{"fid":"266129","name":"2026-2027-Coulter-BME-Seminar-Series-Elise-Franco.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/11\/09\/2026-2027-Coulter-BME-Seminar-Series-Elise-Franco.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/11\/09\/2026-2027-Coulter-BME-Seminar-Series-Elise-Franco.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1367219,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/11\/09\/2026-2027-Coulter-BME-Seminar-Series-Elise-Franco.jpg?itok=UtGyw4l1"}}},"media_ids":["681690"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/zoom.us\/j\/97421219805?pwd=b2ZUZElTQ044anlVbFRib2VIQk1IQT09","title":"Can\u0027t attend in person? 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