University of California-San Diego · ChemistryRNA Structural Biology Laboratory
Navtej Singh Toor · La Jolla, California
Research Focus
Dr. Navtej Singh Toor's lab at UC San Diego focuses on understanding the structures and functions of non-coding RNAs, which are vital for many biological processes but are often poorly understood. By using advanced techniques like cryo-electron microscopy, the lab aims to determine the precise structures of these RNAs to uncover their roles in gene regulation and disease, particularly in bacteria and humans. The overarching goal is to leverage this knowledge for potential therapeutic applications targeting RNA.
RNA structurenon-coding RNAscryo-electron microscopygene regulationbiochemical mechanisms
Research Aims
5AIM 01Determine the high-resolution structures of non-coding RNAs to understand their functional roles in biology.
AIM 02Investigate the molecular mechanisms of peptide bond formation in the ribosome.
AIM 03Identify structural features of untranslated RNA regions that regulate gene expression.
AIM 04Explore novel priming mechanisms in reverse transcriptases related to phage defense.
AIM 05Unravel structure-function relationships in both bacterial and human RNA molecules.
Skills the Lab Values
cryoelectron microscopystructural biologyin vitro biochemistryRNA sequencingprotein biochemistrygenetic engineeringmolecular modelingdata analysisbiological imaging
Output against the department
Publications39bottom 7% of dept.201st of 216
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations1.9kbottom 14% of dept.186th 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.