Sara Selitsky (graduate student, Sethupathy & Lemon Labs) has recently first-authored a paper published in Scientific Reports (Nature‘s open access journal), titled Small tRNA-derived RNAs are increased and more abundant than microRNAs in chronic hepatitis B and C. In this study, Selitsky et al. identify for the first time in human tissue the presence of a class of small RNAs derived from tRNAs. They find that tRNA-derived RNAs are even more abundant than microRNAs in the liver of patients chronically infected with hepatitis B or C, and that they are dysregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma. These findings open a new field of study that may suggest new approaches for diagnosis and treatment of chronic liver diseases. Jeanette Baran-Gale, also a BCB student (Sethupathy & Purvis Labs), is a contributing author on the paper. See student pubs page for complete citation.