 A primary research goal of the lab is to elucidate the function of Survival of Motor Neuron protein, SMN, which assembles a heptameric ring of Sm proteins on U snRNAs to form snRNPs that are essential components of the splicesome.Moreover, loss of functional SMN is directly linked to spinal muscular atrophy, a debilitating neurodegenerative disease that is characterize by the eventual death of motor neurons and muscular wasting.The Dreyfuss Lab is conducting research to understand the role of SMN in SMA pathology and using high throughput screening to discover potential therapeutics.