The L7 ribosomal protein is essential for translation in the large ribosomal subunit and has functional homologs that stabilize the guide RNAs in the C/D Box and the H/CA Box RNA-guided systems, exhibiting ribosomal exaptation. Examining how L7 has been exapted to diverse RNA-based systems may elucidate the evolutionary origins and functional diversity of L7, with potential for discovering novel, reprogrammable biological tools. To explore the diversity of L7 homologs, we combine structural mining, phylogenetic analysis, embedding clustering, and manual curation to characterize L7-containing proteins. We identified three main families and for each family, predicted potential interactions with their RNA targets to identify key properties of the L7 protein vital for interaction with RNA. Ultimately, this study highlights the extent of the diversity of L7-based RNA-guided systems, which can help pinpoint key mechanisms and systems that could be harnessed for downstream biological applications.

The SuperUROP experience will be an engaging opportunity to explore computer science and biology through hands-on, cutting-edge, collaborative research. Through this experience, I hope to integrate my knowledge in AI/ML and biology together in a research setting with real-world applications while gaining mentorship and guidance through SuperUROP!