Michael E. Harris
Professor
Research Focus
Our research seeks to address fundamentally important questions in RNA biology and enzyme mechanism: How does Nature utilize the physical properties of RNA to achieve catalysis? Can we accurately predict the specificity of enzymes and proteins that bind to RNA? How can we leverage our understanding of RNA to contribute to the development of novel therapeutics? To answer these questions we use a range of tools including high throughput enzymology, rapid reaction kinetics, and spectroscopy. We are also engaged in synergistic collaborations allowing us to integrate structural biology, computation, and medicinal chemistry. Our long-term vision is to contribute to our understanding of RNA catalysis, develop broadly useful models of RNA specificity, realize novel opportunities in drug discovery.
Education and Training
1992–1996: Postdoc, Indiana University (lab of Norman Pace)
1992: PhD Biochemistry, Univ of Alabama at Birmingham (lab of Stephen Hajdu)
1986: B.S. Chemistry, Florida State University 2002 – 2014: Associate Professor, Dept of Biochemistry, CWRU School of Medicine
Selected Publications
Kalia N, Snell KC, Harris ME. Alternative substrate kinetics of SARS-CoV-2 Nsp15 endonuclease reveals a specificity landscape dominated by RNA structure. Nucleic Acids Res. 2024, 52 ,13419–13433.
Huang T, Chamberlain A, Zhu J, Harris ME. A minimal RNA substrate with dual fluorescent probes enables rapid kinetics and provides insight into bacterial RNase P active site interactions. RSC Chem. Biol. 2024, 5, 652–668.
Chamberlain AR, Huynh L, Huang W, Taylor DJ, Harris ME. The specificity landscape of bacterial ribonuclease P. J. Biol. Chem. 2024, 300, 105498.