Dr. Nicole Martinez's lab is broadly interested in RNA-based mechanisms of gene regulation. Precise control of gene expression at the level of messenger RNA processing is necessary for organismal development, required for response to environmental cues and its dysregulation is the basis of many diseases. The lab is keen to uncover mechanisms that control alternative mRNA processing and their downstream consequences on gene expression and cell physiology. Eukaryotic mRNA are extensively modified with non-canonical bases that have the potential to regulate pre-mRNA processing steps such as splicing and 3’ end processing. Dysregulation of RNA-modifying enzymes cause a wide range of human diseases, underscoring the need to elucidate this exciting new layer of gene regulation. The lab's current research studies mechanisms and functions of RNA modifications in pre-mRNA processing and their roles in development and disease through a combination of molecular biology, biochemistry, genomics, genetics, and systems biology.