Prasad, AngelinKalb, EvanAdamala, Kate2024-04-192024-04-192024-04https://hdl.handle.net/11299/262393Poster presentation for Undergraduate Research Symposium on April 18th, 2024. Poster presentation was on Post-Transcriptionally Modified tRNAs for enhanced translation. Faculty advisor: Kate AdamalaSynthesizing peptides from non-natural amino acids presents challenges such as maintaining a correct reading frame and proper tRNA charging. Flexizyme aids tRNA charging with non-natural amino acids, often using in-vitro transcribed tRNAs. In-vivo transcribed tRNAs, with post-transcriptional modifications, hypothetically offer better stability. Stability for tRNAfMET was assessed via Tm values, indicating higher stability in in-vivo transcribed tRNAs. However, Hibit luminescence assays showed no significant translation efficiency difference between in-vitro and in-vivo transcribed tRNAs. In conclusion, post-transcriptional modifications may not significantly enhance flexizyme reactions. Future steps involve identifying limiting factors in the system or tRNAs.enAdamala-Engelhardt LabCollege of Biological SciencesDepartment of Genetics, Cell Biology, and DevelopmenttRNAPost-Transcriptionally Modified tRNAsgenetic code expansionPresentation