Dineshbabu Takkella

My research focuses on understanding the structure, dynamics, and function of non-coding RNA elements within the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome. These elements regulate key steps in the viral life cycle, including genome replication, translation, and assembly, but are highly dynamic and conformationally flexible, making them difficult to characterize using conventional structural methods. At the Holmstrom Lab, I use single-molecule fluorescence techniques, including smFRET, FCS, and FLIM, together with biochemical methods such as HPLC, to resolve RNA conformational dynamics and molecular interactions with high spatial and temporal resolution. The goal of this work is to understand how RNA structural dynamics relate to function, and how these features might ultimately be targeted for future antiviral strategies.