Folded RNAs are
important
for the life cycles of many viral pathogens and have provided us with
long-term
crystallographic challenges. Our work at present is focussed on RNAs
derived
from HIV (from which we have small crystals) and synthetic RNA aptamers
designed to block binding of HIV gp120 to CD4. This work is currently
at the stage
of design of suitable crystallographic targets and determination of the
affinities
and kinetics that characterise aptamer-gp120 binding.
