Anton Petrov, PhD

At the intersection of RNA science and tech

For over 15 years, I’ve worked across RNA research, bioinformatics, and software development, building tools that support the global RNA community. During my PhD in the Leontis-Zirbel lab at Bowling Green State University, I developed the RNA 3D Motif Atlas, an automated classification system for RNA 3D motifs, and contributed to several tools and databases for RNA 3D structure analysis, including RNA 3D Hub, WebFR3D, JAR3D, and R3D Align.

Following my PhD, I joined the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), where I served as a Bioinformatician and later as a Project Leader. There, I established RNAcentral and led the team behind Rfam. I also created R2DT, the first method for automatic visualisation of RNA secondary structure in consistent, reproducible, and recognisable layouts.

After nine years at EBI, I founded Riboscope Ltd, an RNA bioinformatics consultancy that I ran for four years. I’m the co-founder and CEO of RNera Bio, a new biotech startup. More to come soon!