In order for cells to produce proteins from their DNA, they first need to create an intermediary molecule called RNA. Like little kids at a birthday party playing “pin the tail on the donkey,” cells attach chemical tails to those RNAs, which change how proteins are made. Karl-Frédéric Vieux, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Intramural Research Program at the National Institutes of Health, examines how cells pin the tails on RNA and how those tails influence an embryo’s development in the womb. Learning more about this process could one day lead to RNA-based therapies for women who struggle with infertility. To learn more about the research being done in Karl- Frédéric’s lab, visit https://irp.nih.gov/pi/katherine-mcjunkin Interested in finding out for yourself what it's like to do research at NIH? Check out our training opportunities to learn about the IRP's programs for students, recent graduates, and postdoctoral fellows: https://irp.nih.gov/research-training/training-opportunities The SciBites video shorts are produced by the https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk4l5fGbJmFhN3QJVgvwa9w. Check out their YouTube channel and visit their website at https://irp.nih.gov/ to learn more about the NIH IRP.