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Sherry AW
RNA in Disease and Technologies
PhD – Developmental Biology, Harvard, USA
Email: syaw@imcb.a-star.edu.sg
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherry-aw/
Lab Page: https://www.sherryawlab.org/
SUMMARY
Sherry Aw is a Principal Investigator at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) .
Sherry started as an Independent Fellow at IMCB in 2017, before becoming a Principal Investigator at IMCB in 2021. Her interests lie in investigating roles of RNA, in particular microRNA, in neurodegeneration and movement disorders. She also develops RNA technologies for diagnostic, therapeutic and other translational applications.
Sherry completed her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. She then pursued her PhD in Developmental Biology at Harvard University, USA.
Sherry is a recipient of scholarships from the Singapore Economic Development Board and A*STAR. She is also a co-inventor on two patents, and was awarded the L'Oréal-UNESCO Singapore For Women in Science National Fellowship in Life Sciences (2017), and the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Fellowship (2019).
AWARDS & GRANTS
- 2020: Asian Scientist 100
- 2019: L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Fellowship International Rising Talent
- 2017: L'Oréal-UNESCO Singapore For Women in Science National Fellowship in Life Sciences gramme
- 2023: A*STAR Innovation & Enterprise (I&E) GAP Award
- 2021: National Medical Research Council, Open Fund – Individual Research Grant (NMRC-OF-IRG)
- 2021: A*STAR Central Research Fund (CRF), Use-Inspired Basic Research (UIBR) Award
- 2021: Industry Alignment Fund – Pre-Positioning (IAF-PP) Award
RESEARCH
Our Lab aims to understand roles for RNA, in particular microRNA, in neurodegeneration and movement disorders, and exploit RNA biology to develop translational technologies based on novel functional RNA molecules, for disease diagnosis and therapeutics. To do this, we take a cross-disciplinary approach, combining genetics, biochemistry and chemistry, behavioural assays, high-speed imaging and computational analysis, collaborating closely with computer scientists, chemists and engineers.
PUBLICATIONS
- Modulation of a critical period for motor development in Drosophila by BK potassium channels.
Simon A. Lowe, Abigail D. Wilson, Gabriel N. Aughey, Animesh Banerjee, Talya Goble, Nell Simon-Batsford, Angelina Sanderson, Patrick Kratschmer, Maryam Balogun, Hao Gao, Sherry S. Aw, James E.C. Jepson (2024)
Current Biology 34(15): 3488-3505.e3 - Fully automated leg tracking of Drosophila neurodegeneration models reveals distinct conserved movement signatures.
Shuang Wu, Kah Junn Tan, Lakshmi Narasimhan Govindarajan, James Charles Stewart, Lin Gu, Joses Wei Hao Ho, Malvika Katarya, Boon Hui Wong, Eng King Tan, Daiqin Li, Adam Claridge-Chang, Camilo Libedinsky, Li Cheng* and Sherry Shiying Aw*# (2019)
PLOS Biology 17(6): e3000346
*Corresponding authors. #Lead contact - A glio-protective role of mir-263a by tuning sensitivity to glutamate.
Aw, S. *#, Lim, KH, Tang, XM, Cohen, SM*. (2017)
Cell Reports 19(9): 1783–93
*Corresponding authors. #Lead contact - A conformation-induced fluorescence method for microRNA detection.
Aw, S.*#, Tang, XM., Teo, YN*, Cohen, SM. (2016)
Nucleic Acids Research. 44(10): e92
*Corresponding authors. #Lead contact
PATENTS
- A ribozyme comprising a target-binding domain (SG11202111264TB)
The present application discloses a ribozyme comprising a target-binding domain which is for binding of a target RNA molecule. The ribozyme further comprises one or more catalytic domains and one or more releasable RNA segments flanked by two ribozyme cleavage sites, wherein activation of the catalytic domains by a target RNA molecule causes the cleavage at the ribozyme cleavage sites, causing the releasable RNA segment to be released from the ribozyme. The present application further discloses the use of such ribozymes for detecting the presence of a target RNA molecule or the amplification of a target RNA molecule. - A simple one-step real-time molecular sensor for microRNA detection (US11174505B2)
The present application discloses an isolated nucleic acid sequence for detecting the presence of a target nucleic acid sequence, a ribozyme for detecting the presence of a target nucleic acid sequence and uses thereof.
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