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The View From Here By introducing the active intermediate short interfering RNA (siRNA), which is complementary to a targeted gene, into the cellular RNAi machinery one can readily eliminate the expression of the gene. At the same time, it is vital that we gain a detailed understanding of the naturally employed microRNA pathway to guide experimental design and avoid unintended gene silencing. The examples highlighted: (i) summarize various methods of using RNAi,
(ii) highlight discoveries in understanding the mechanism of action, (iii)
identify potential pitfalls and strategies to overcome them, (iv) provide
examples of successful deployment of the technology, and (v) address challenges
for the future use of the technology in animals and as therapeutic agents.
Dr. Marshall is responsible for leading technology assessment and strategic planning for the Fisher Biosciences Group, a unit of Fisher Scientific International Inc. that manufactures and supplies a wide range of products and services across the general-chemistry and life-sciences arenas. In addition, he leads Dharmacon’s efforts in therapeutic development and maintains an active role in the RNAi Global Initiative. Prior to joining Dharmacon, Dr. Marshall served in several capacities at Amgen, Inc. most recently as Associate Director of Research and Head of the Nucleic Acid and Peptide Technology Department. In both of these capacities he has examined a wide variety of gene knockdown and target validation approaches. Dr. Marshall received his Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Ph. D. in Chemistry from the University of Colorado at Boulder in the laboratory of Professor Marvin Caruthers. Dr. Marshall is author and co-author of over 35 research papers and 15 patents. |
This
Editors Choice focuses on the use of RNA interference (RNAi) for target
identification and validation. RNAi denotes a set of post-transcriptional
gene regulatory phenomena mediated by small noncoding RNA’s that
appear to play a fundamental role in biology.