Singh group works on the interface of fundamental and translational biology. General interest of his group has been to understand the mechanism of alternative splicing, a vital process that increases the coding potential of genome in all higher eukaryotes. Alternative splicing is also associated with a growing number of diseases including neurological and neuromuscular disorders, cardiovascular disorders and cancer. Particular focus of his group has been to understand the molecular basis of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a debilitating genetic disease of infants and children. His award-winning discovery relates to finding a unique regulatory element located within the non-coding region (or intron) of Survival Motor Neuron (SMN) gene. He has termed this novel regulatory element as “Intronic Splicing Silencer N1”, which is abbreviated as “ISS-N1”. Currently, his group is working on the mechanistic details of how ISS-N1 could be used as a therapeutic target. His other interests include RNA-protein interactions and isolation of RNA aptamers as detection and diagnostic tools.

News Links about Dr. Ravindra Singh:

• Possible treatment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2009/jul/singh)
• Award from the White House (http://www.public.iastate.edu/~nscentral/news/2007/nov/singh.shtml)

DB. Sc.: Banaras Hindu University, India 1983
M. Sc.:   Banaras Hindu University, India 1985
Ph.D.:    Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia, 1993.

Singh NN, Shishimorova M, Cao LC, Gangwani L and Singh RN (2009) A short antisense oligonucleotide masking a unique intronic motif prevents skipping of a critical exon in spinal muscular atrophy. RNA Biology, Vol. 6, No. 3 (in press).

Papp LV, Wang J, Kennedy D, Boucher D, Zhang Y, Gladyshev VN, Singh RN and Khanna KK (2008) Functional characterization of alternatively spliced human SECISBP2 transcript variants. Nucleic Acids Research, 36, 7192-206.

Singh RN(2007) Evolving concepts on human SMN pre-mRNA splicing. RNA Biology, 4, 7-10.

Singh RN (2007) Unfolding the mystery of alternative splicing through a unique method of in vivo selection. Frontiers in Bioscience,12, 3263-3272.

Singh NN, Singh RN and Androphy EJ (2007) Modulating role of a RNA structure in skipping of a critical
exon in the spinal muscular atrophy genes. Nucleic Acids Research, 35, 371-389.

Singh NK, Singh NN, Androphy EJ and Singh RN (2006) Splicing of a Critical Exon of Survival Motor Neuron genes is regulated by a human-specific silencer element located in the last intron.Molecular and Cellular Biology, 26, 1333-1346.

Singh NN, Androphy EJ and Singh RN (2004) In vivo selection reveals features of combinatorial control that defines a critical exon in the spinal muscular atrophy genes. RNA, 10, 1291-1305.

Singh NN, Androphy EJ and Singh RN (2004) Regulation and regulatory activities of alternative splicing of the SMN genes. Critical Reviews in Eukaryotic Gene Expression, 14, 271-285.

Singh NN, Androphy EJ and Singh RN. (2004) An extended inhibitory context causes skipping of exon 7 of SMN2 in spinal muscular atrophy.Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 315, 381-388.

Singh RN, Saldanha R, D’Souza LM and Lambowitz AM (2002) Binding of a group II intron-encoded reverse transcriptase/maturase to its high affinity intron RNA binding site involves sequence-specific recognition and autoregulates translation. Journal of Molecular Biology, 318, 287-303.

Wank H, SanFilippo J, Singh RN, Matsuuara M and Lambowitz AM (1999) A reverse transcriptase/maturase promotes RNA splicing by binding at its own coding segment in a group II intron. Molecular Cell, 4. 239-250.

Singh RN and Dreher TW (1998) Specific site selection in RNA resulting from a combination of nonspecific secondary structure and -CCR- boxes: initiation of minus strand synthesis by turnip yellow mosaic virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. RNA, 4, 1083-1095.

Participation in programs aimed at enriching socially disadvantaged students

Managing Editor of “Frontiers of Biosciences”

Reviewer of various granting agencies and journals

Recipient of the 2006 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) (The
highest civilian award given to young US scientists)

Named Endowed Dr. John G. and Mrs. Doris Salsbury Chair (Since 2008)

The RNA Society

American Society for Microbiology

Osborne Club