University of Colorado Boulder · ChemistryRiboswitch Dynamics Lab
Robert T Batey · Boulder, Colorado
Research Focus
Dr. Robert Batey's lab at the University of Colorado focuses on understanding riboswitches, which are important regulatory elements that help bacteria control gene expression. The lab is exploring how these RNA structures interact with small molecules and transcription factors, which are proteins that regulate the activity of genes. The ultimate goal is to develop novel tools for RNA visualization in living cells and to enhance our understanding of gene regulation at the molecular level.
riboswitchesRNA visualizationtranscription factorsgene regulationsmall moleculesaptamersbiophysicslive cell imagingbiochemical assayssynthetic biology
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate how riboswitches bind small molecules and regulate gene expression.
AIM 02Develop novel RNA-based tools for imaging and tracking RNA in cells.
AIM 03Understand the interactions between transcription factors and RNA.
AIM 04Explore the structural basis of RNA recognition by transcription factor proteins.
AIM 05Assess the impact of ligand binding on RNA structure and function.
Skills the Lab Values
RNA extractionfluorescence microscopyin vitro transcriptionbiochemical assayscell culturestructural biology techniquesbiophysical analysisPCRmolecular cloningprotein purification
Output against the department
Publications277top 42% of dept.90th of 216
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations10ktop 47% of dept.102nd of 216
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.