The Kool lab uses the tools of chemistry to study the structures, interactions and biological activities of nucleic acids and the enzymes that process them. Molecular design and synthesis play a major role in this work, followed by analysis of structure and function, both in test tubes and in living systems. These studies are aimed at gaining a better basic understanding of biology, and applying this knowledge to practical applications in biomedicine.

Recent research interests include the development of chemical tools for mapping RNA structure and interactions in cells, methods for stabilization and conjugation of RNAs, and the development of probes of DNA repair pathways and their connections to cancer.