To date, around 150 different types of RNA modifications are known and several of these have been shown to contribute to and modulate RNA folding, processing, turnover, antigenicity, translation, and they can even alter the underlying coding potential of mRNA. Some RNA modifications are dynamically introduced and can even be removed, indicating that RNA modifications contribute actively to the control of gene expression.

However, the exact abundance of specific RNA modifications at the level of individual cells and individual transcripts has not yet been determined. Furthermore, the biophysical consequences and the biological impact of RNA modifications, especially at the molecular level, are only partially understood. In addition, a detailed understanding of the regulatory mechanisms controlling the dynamics of RNA modifications is largely missing.