We seek a precise mechanistic understanding of how non-protein-coding and unusual RNA molecules control gene expression in biomedically interesting pathways. Our laboratory focuses on mammalian gene regulation by the 2-5A system, a signaling cascade activated by an innate immune signal of danger - double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). The 2-5A system operates in all human tissues and provides antibacterial innate immunity. In the absence of infections it helps to maintain homeostasis, acting as a suppressor of cell proliferation and as a mediator of terminal adipocyte differentiation and insulin sensing. Our methods include X-ray crystallography, biochemistry, biophysics, chemical biology, cell biology, and high-throughput RNA sequencing. The seminar will focus on emerging molecular mechanisms and cellular roles of key receptors in the 2-5A system.