On June 5, Professor Eric Westhof, the world renowned biophysicist, member of the French Academy of Sciences, the German Academy of Sciences, the European Academy of Sciences, and professor of the University of Strasbourg, France, visited Cheeloo College of Medicine and gave a lecture entitled "RNA as a target: Nature does it so well". Professor Wang Fengshan, Vice Dean of the College presided over the report.

Prof. Westhof pointed out that DNA has an important function of recording genetic information and protein is the performer of function. RNA is a small molecule substance that can record genetic information and perform important functions. The structure of RNA is not a simple linear, but can be folded into a perfect spatial conformation, playing a series of biological effects. Professor Westhof also listed targeted RNA and interfering RNA functions, as well as applications in drug development. After the lecture, teachers and students actively asked questions and Professor Westhof answered them one by one in the Q&A session.

During the visit, Prof. Westhof also visited the centenary museum and laboratories of Cheeloo College of Medicine.

Eric Westhof, is currently Delegate for Teaching and Formation at the French Academy of Sciences. His long-term commitment to the study of the correlation of RNA sequences, structures and evolution has earned him an extremely high international reputation in the field of nucleic acid research. He conducted research on the kinetics and catalytic function of nucleic acids, particularly RNA, through crystallography and bioinformatics methods. He has published more than 300 papers, with more than 400 ISI-quotations, a citation rate of more than 25,000, and an H-index of 83. He was awarded the Medal of the French Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2014; he was awarded theLifetime Achievement Award by RNA Society in 2016. In 2018, he was awarded "Rolf-SAMMET-Gast professor" by the Aventis Foundation of Frankfurt University(Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität, Frankfurt-am- Main).

Source: Cheeloo College of Medicine

Traslated by: Wang Fanfan

Edited by: Kyle Muntz, Xie Tingting