Cervical cancer affects more than half a million women worldwide each year and is often caused by long-term infections with the human papillomavirus (HPV). 'Although HPV tests are useful for screening, they are not perfect: women who test positive often have to undergo further tests, which are not always accurate and sometimes uncomfortable,' explains Molina. This project is exploring if transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules are altered in cervical cancer. These tRNAs may provide a new, more precise way to determine which HPV-positive women are at risk for cervical cancer. This could lead to new, convenient screening methods for early detection of cervical cancer and possibly other cancer types.