The Frankel Lab works on RNA-protein recognition and the assembly of RNA-based regulatory complexes. We use biochemistry, molecular biology, and structural methods to investigate how viral and cellular proteins bind to their RNA targets and how these multi-protein complexes are used to regulate transcription, mRNA export, and RNA splicing. Some of the complexes are relevant therapeutic targets, and we are testing structure-based, combinatorial, and computational strategies for designing new RNA-binding ligands.