Working Towards Inclusivity in Chemistry Toronto

Promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion within the chemistry community through awareness, engagement, and advocacy

2025

A.R. Gordon Distinguished Lecture Series Roundtable Discussion 📚
In collaboration with the Department of Chemistry, WICTO will be hosting the roundtable discussion for the upcoming A.R. Gordon Distinguished Lecture Series speaker, Dr. Laura Kiessling from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Lunch will be provided. Sign up for the roundtable using the link below.
Roundtable discussion date: Wednesday, September 17 at 12:00pm – 1:30pm EST
Location: LM128
Sign-up form: https://forms.gle/onB9JKbWgoUi3iJ47

Screenshot%202025-09-04%20122653 WICTO Seminar 📖
WICTO will be hosting Dr. Blanton S. Tolbert from the University of Pennsylvania! A roundtable discussion will be held directly after the talk, with lunch provided. Sign up for the roundtable using the QR code in the attached PDF or the link below.
Seminar date: Monday, September 22 at 10:00am – 11:00am EST
Location: Davenport Seminar Room East
Roundtable discussion date: Monday, September 20 at 11:30am – 1:00pm EST
Location: LM128
Sign-up form: https://forms.gle/7fkCc6wymcKpsvby8
Title: Mutual Allostery: A Mechanism to Regulate RNA Biology
Abstract: Heterotypic RNA–protein (RNP) interactions regulate gene expression, yet the foundational principles governing functional RNP assembly remain largely unknown across most of the transcriptome. This knowledge gap persists in part because heterotypic interactions are highly idiosyncratic, making it difficult to define generalizable rules of engagement. To address this challenge, a new conceptual framework is needed to better understand how heterogeneity contributes to RNA-mediated gene expression. We propose that mutual allostery provides such a framework, both for rationalizing the biological mechanisms underlying gene regulation and for identifying new strategies to therapeutically target RNA. Allostery describes a phenomenon in which ligand binding at one site induces conformational changes at a distant interaction surface. In heterotypic RNPs, mutual allostery can impose more precise and stringent control over RNA biology, as the respective complexes display unique physicochemical properties. In my presentation, I will discuss case studies that provide evidence supporting mutual allostery as a potentially generalizable framework for interpreting the contributions of heterotypic interactions to RNA biology.