Joseph A. Piccirilli

Joseph A. Piccirilli is a Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Chicago, where he leads the Piccirilli Lab within the Biological Sciences Division. His research focuses on developing and applying chemical and biochemical tools to investigate the structure and function of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) and their complexes with proteins (RNPs) and small molecules.

Dr. Piccirilli's research spans multiple areas of RNA biology, with particular emphasis on:

• Engineering fragment antigen binding (Fabs) as chaperones for RNA crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy
• Elucidating mechanisms of RNA function, especially catalytic RNAs (ribozymes)
• Structural characterization of RNA-antibody complexes
• Understanding RNA catalytic mechanisms through kinetic isotope effect analysis
• Developing nucleotide analogs from artificially expanded genetic systems

His recent work has made significant contributions to understanding SARS-CoV-2 RNA structures, RNA aptamers like Pepper RNA, and various ribozymes. The Piccirilli Lab employs a diverse array of approaches including structural biology, biophysics, biochemistry, computational modeling, and chemical synthesis to address fundamental questions in RNA biology.

Dr. Piccirilli has been consistently funded by the National Institutes of Health, serving as Principal Investigator on multiple major grants including the prestigious R35 "Outstanding Investigator Award" for his work on non-coding RNA structure and function.

He has mentored numerous graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, including recent PhD graduates Huw Rees (Pepper RNA aptamer structure) and Christina Roman (SARS-CoV-2 Programmed -1 Ribosomal Frameshifting Element).

The Piccirilli Lab maintains active collaborations with researchers across disciplines and institutions, contributing to major scientific initiatives such as the RNA-Puzzles project for RNA structure prediction.