Anita Hopper, professor for the Department of Molecular Genetics at Ohio State, studies the biogenesis of tRNA molecules, and her research has led to fundamental insights into how tRNAs are built and become functional.
She was the first to demonstrate that a single gene can encode proteins that are delivered to multiple places within the cell. She also made the seminal observation that fully mature tRNAs can be re-transported backward into the nucleus, where they are likely to play important roles in cellular regulation and quality control.
Hopper is a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a member of the RNA Society and was recently elected into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.