Francis S Collins Collegiate Professor of Chemistry, Biophysics, and Biological Chemistry
About
At the interface of Chemistry and Biology, a revolution has recently taken place that has uncovered a plethora of small non-coding RNAs in our bodies, which outnumber protein-coding genes by several-fold, dominate the expression patterns of all genes in all cells, and have inspired entirely new therapeutic disease intervention approaches. Our group's goal is to understand the mechanistic structure-function relationships in these ncRNAs using single molecule tools and then utilize them for biomedical, bioanalytical and nanotechnological applications. The RNAs we study range from small RNA enzymes, such as the hammerhead, hairpin and hepatitis delta virus ribozymes with potential use in human gene therapy and relevance to human disease, to large RNA-protein complexes, such as RNA interference machinery involved in gene regulation and virus suppression. In particular, we employ fluorescence techniques to study in real-time the kinetic mechanisms of these ncRNAs, in bulk solution, in live cells, and at the single-molecule level. Applications include the identification and optimization of ncRNAs for gene therapy and as novel biosensors and biomarkers, as well as the characterization of antiviral and antibiotic drugs that target pathogenic RNA function.
Our research by its very nature is highly interdisciplinary, engaging students with a diverse background and providing a broad education. The molecules we study are extremely dynamic over time scales of microseconds to hours. To understand these dynamics we combine state-of-the-art chemical, molecular biological, and biophysical approaches. An outline of several exciting current projects is given below.
1. Using single-molecule fluorescence techniques to observe in unprecedented detail fluctuations of single RNA molecules between functionally active and inactive conformations.
2. Dissecting pre-mRNA splicing by fluorophore labeling individual RNA or protein components and following their fluorescence fluctuations during splicing in cell extracts by single molecule fluorescence microscopy.
3. Utilizing single molecule fluorescence imaging and structural biology tools such as cryo-EM to follow conformational changes of bacterial riboswitches that utilize an aptamer domain to recognize a specific ligand and effect the gene expression machinery, with promise for drug development.
4. Inventing single molecule counting tools for clinical biomarker detection, leading to formation of a startup company.
5. Developing a model system for understanding gene silencing by directly observing, using fluorescence techniques, the action of small interfering (si)RNAs and micro (mi)RNAs on pathogenic mRNAs in cell extracts and live cells.
6. Pioneering super-resolution fluorescence imaging techniques in nanotechnology to follow and optimize autonomously moving engineered "nanoengines".
Awards
Open Science Practice Award, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Neurodegeneration Challenge Network 2021
Student’s Choice Faculty Mentor Award, Cellular & Molecular Biology Graduate Program 2020
Visiting Sabbatical Scholar, Chan-Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco (hosted by Stephen Quake) 2018
Prasanta Datta Memorial Scholarship from the Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, for sabbatical travel 2018
Francis S. Collins Collegiate Professor of Chemistry, Biophysics, and Biological Chemistry, College of Literature, Science and the Arts 2017
RNA Society Mid-Career Award 2017
Jean Dreyfus Boissevain Lecturer 2015, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX 2015
Harold R. Johnson Diversity Service Award, University of Michigan 2015
Faculty Recognition Award 2013
Imes and Moore Faculty Award 2013
Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award 2004
Otto-Hahn Award for Outstanding Researchers of the Max-Planck Society 1995
Anton Keller Prize for best Chemistry Diploma of the Year at the Darmstadt Insitute of Technology 1992
Fellowships
Election as AAAS Fellow, 2011
JILA Distinguished Visitor Fellowship (David Nesbitt group), 2006
Feodor-Lynen Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Kekule Ph.D. Scholarship from the Stiftung Stipendienfonds des Verbandes der Chemischen Industrie
Study Scholarship from the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes
Other Positions
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Visiting Scholar, 2012
ADVANCE Program for Executive Leadership, College of LS&A, University of Michigan, 2011
Buchanan Lecturer, Bowling Green State University, 2011
Chartered NIH Study Section Member, MSFB, 2009-2013
Visiting Scholar, Harvard University (Sunney Xie group), 2006
Dow Corning Assistant Professorship - University of Michigan, 2002
Full List of Publications
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/nils.walter.1/bibliography/public/?sortby=pubDate&sdirection=descending
https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=1IG1j9gAAAAJ
Research Areas(s)
- Analytical Chemistry
- Bioanalytical Chemistry
- Bioinorganic Chemistry
- Biophysical Chemistry
- Chemical Biology
- Energy Science
- Nano Chemistry
- Optics and Imaging
- Organic Chemistry
- Physical Chemistry
- RNA BioChemistry
- Sensor Science
- Surface Chemistry
- Sustainable Chemistry
- Ultrafast Dynamics
Other Research Interests
- Single-Molecule Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Microscopy
- Folding and Function of RNA
- Live-Cell Imaging
- Biophysical Chemistry of Nucleic Acids
- DNA Nanotechnology and Smart Materials
