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White, Neil

Assistant Professor

FACULTY

Biography

Neil White was born and raised in Owosso, Michigan. He completed his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Michigan State University (East Lansing, Michigan) in 2010.

Neil became very interested in RNA and completed his Ph.D. at Michigan State University in 2016. He was mentored by Dr. Charles Hoogstraten and studied catalytic RNA (ribozymes). Also, during his time as a graduate student, he developed a passion for teaching and learning. As a F.A.S.T. (Future Academic Scholar in Teaching) fellow he conducted a project on student metacognition (learning about learning). He continued at Michigan State University for a brief period as a postdoctoral researcher to further conduct RNA research and to earn a Certificate of Completion in the Postdoctoral Teaching Internship Program.

Next, Neil with his passion for RNA, went to Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut) in 2017 to validate novel RNA switches (riboswitches) as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Ronald Breaker. He then joined the faculty at Central Michigan University in 2025 to establish his independent laboratory focusing on revealing elemental ion biology and RNA biochemistry using riboswitches and to help train the next generation of scientists in the classroom and in the laboratory.

More about Neil White

Select Publications

  • White, N., Sadeeshkumar, H., Sun, A., Sudarsan, N. & Breaker, R. R. Lithium-sensing riboswitch classes regulate expression of bacterial cation transporter genes. Sci. Rep. 12, 19145 (2022).
  • Sherlock, M. E., Higgs, G., Yu, D., Widner, D. L., White, N. A., Sudarsan, N., Sadeeshkumar, H., Perkins, K. R., Arachchilage, G. M., Malkowski, S. N., King, C. G., Harris, K. A., Gaffield, G., Atilho, R. M. & Breaker, R. R. Architectures and complex functions of tandem riboswitches. RNA Biol. 19, 1059–1076 (2022).
  • White, N.*, Sadeeshkumar, H.*, Sun, A., Sudarsan, N. & Breaker, R. R. Na+ riboswitches regulate genes for diverse physiological processes in bacteria. Nat. Chem. Biol. 18, 878–885 (2022).
  • News and Views Feature: Waters, L. A new class of metal-sensing RNA. Nat. Chem. Biol. 18, 798–799 (2022).
  • Brewer, K. I., Greenlee, E. B., Higgs, G., Yu, D., Arachchilage, G. M., Chen, X., King, N., White, N. & Breaker, R. R. Comprehensive discovery of novel structured noncoding RNAs in 26 bacterial genomes. RNA Biol. 18, 2417–2432 (2021).
  • Hoogstraten, C. G., Terrazas, M., Aviñó, A., White, N. A. & Sumita, M. Dynamics-Function Analysis in Catalytic RNA Using NMR Spin Relaxation and Conformationally Restricted Nucleotides. Methods Mol. Biol. 2167, 183–202 (2020).
  • White, N. A., Sumita, M., Marquez, V. E. & Hoogstraten, C. G. Coupling between conformational dynamics and catalytic function at the active site of the lead-dependent ribozyme. RNA 24, 1542–1554 (2018).
  • Kamba, P. F., Dickson, D. A., White, N. A., Ekstrom, J. L., Koslowsky, D. J. & Hoogstraten, C. G. The 27 kDa Trypanosoma brucei Pentatricopeptide Repeat Protein is a G-tract Specific RNA Binding Protein. Sci. Rep. 8, 16989 (2018).
  • White, N. A. & Hoogstraten, C. G. Thermodynamics and kinetics of RNA tertiary structure formation in the junctionless hairpin ribozyme. Biophys. Chem. 228, 62–68 (2017).
  • Ochieng, P. O., White, N. A., Feig, M. & Hoogstraten, C. G. Intrinsic Base-Pair Rearrangement in the Hairpin Ribozyme Directs RNA Conformational Sampling and Tertiary Interface Formation. J. Phys. Chem. B (2016).
  • Hoogstraten, C. G., Sumita, M. & White, N. A. Unraveling the thermodynamics and kinetics of RNA assembly: surface plasmon resonance, isothermal titration calorimetry, and circular dichroism. Methods in Enzymol. 549, 407–32 (2014).
  • Sumita, M., White, N. A., Julien, K. R. & Hoogstraten, C. G. Intermolecular domain docking in the hairpin ribozyme: metal dependence, binding kinetics and catalysis. RNA Bio. 10, 425–35 (2013).

Selected Research Presentations

  • Revealing Elemental Ion Biology Using Riboswitches (poster presentation). NYC RNA Symposium, The Rockefeller University, September 24, 2024, New York, New York.
  • A Riboswitch Candidate for Cyanide. (undergraduate mentee, Loeb, A. A. - poster presentation). NYC RNA Symposium, The Rockefeller University, September 24, 2024, New York, New York.
  • Revealing Elemental Ion Biology Using Riboswitches (poster presentation). Gordon Research Conference: Post-Transcriptional Gene Regulation, University of Southern Maine, July 14-19, 2024, Portland, Maine.
  • Elemental Ion Riboswitches from Bacteria to Eukarya (oral presentation). Research in Progress, Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, January 12, 2024, New Haven, Connecticut.
  • Natural Riboswitches Selective for Lithium and Sodium Riboswitches (oral & poster presentation). Gordon Research Conference: RNA Nanotechnology, January 8-13, 2023, Ventura, California.
  • Natural Riboswitches Selective for Lithium and Sodium Regulate Genes for Ion Transport, Na+-Dependent ATP Production, and Osmotic Stress (oral presentation). International RNA Society Annual Meeting, May 31-June 5, 2022, Boulder, Colorado.
  • Discovering Ligands for Orphan Riboswitch Candidates (oral presentation). RNA Club, RNA Center, Yale University, April 14, 2020, New Haven, Connecticut.
  • Expeditious Validation of Multiple Orphan Riboswitch Candidates (poster presentation). International RNA Society Annual Meeting, June11-16, 2019 Krakow, Poland.
  • Repuckering at the Nucleophilic Ribose of a Catalytic RNA Can Be Observed by NMR and Is Obligatory for Function (oral presentation). International RNA Society Annual Meeting, May 30-June 3, 2017, Prague, Czech Republic.
  • Kinetics and Thermodynamics of Domain Docking in the Junctionless Hairpin Ribozyme (oral presentation, plenary session), International RNA Society Annual Meeting, June 3-8, 2014, Québec City, Québec, Canada.

Travel Scholarship, from the International RNA Society

  • Kinetics and Thermodynamics of the Junctionless Hairpin Ribozyme (oral presentation), Annual Rustbelt RNA Meeting, October 18-19, 2013, Cleveland, Ohio.

Education Presentations

  • Student Metacognition in the Biological Sciences (poster presentation), CIRTL (Center for Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning) Forum, 2015, College Station, Texas.             
  • Backwards Design: Application (oral presentation), Teaching Assistant Seminar in College Teaching, 2014, East Lansing, Michigan.
  • Student Metacognition in the Biological Sciences (oral presentation), FAST (Future Academic Scholars in Teaching) Symposium, 2014, East Lansing, Michigan.
  • Student Metacognition in the Biological Sciences (oral presentation), Symposium on Teaching, Learning, and Graduate Education at Michigan State University, 2014, East Lansing, Michigan. 
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) postdoctoral fellow, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, 2017-2025
  • Postdoctoral researcher, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, 2017
  • Ph.D., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, 2016
  • B.S., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, 2010

RNA is an amazing molecule! Around 4 billion years ago, during the time of the RNA World, RNA was performing both informational storage and catalysis. Those are commonly performed by DNA and protein, respectively, in the modern era. However, RNA still does perform catalysis (e.g. ribosomes) and informational storage (e.g. RNA viruses) today.

Riboswitches represent both functional relics of the RNA World and RNAs that are emerging through evolution right now. Riboswitches are structured, noncoding RNAs that selectively bind a ligand (e.g. metabolites, signaling molecules, elemental ions) and regulate gene expression. These cis-regulatory elements are most-commonly found in the 5′ UTR (untranslated region) of bacteria, though they are present in all domains of life.

Validation of novel riboswitches often elucidates novel biology. Prior to the validation of the sodium riboswitch, there was only one device (a protein present in some bacteria) that bound sodium and regulated gene expression in all domains of life. The sodium riboswitch regulates the gene expression of multiple sodium-dependent processes. The validation of the lithium riboswitch represents the first biological aptamer for lithium. Therefore, we believe that elemental ion biology has been understudied and underappreciated and we expect RNA to play a major role in it.

Our lab is focused on revealing elemental ion biology and RNA biochemistry using riboswitches. The elemental ion riboswitches provide us with naturally occurring biosensors to explore elemental ion biology in bacteria. We are particularly interested in lithium biology given how the broad distribution of lithium riboswitches makes clear lithium must be more commonly encountered than previously thought. Also, excellent and intriguing questions remain around how RNA, a polyanion, can recognize a cation and we look forward to contributing to this important area of RNA Biochemistry.

As a mentor, Dr. White, is strongly committed to fostering productive and meaningful development of all trainees. Our laboratory will always be a supportive and enriching environment, focused on preparing members for careers in science.

Courses Taught

  • Biochemistry