ABSTRACT
Since it burst into epigenetic biology a few years ago, RNA interference (RNAi) as a gene-silencing strategy has transformed biological research and become one of most popular technologies to control gene expression. RNAi, occurs in plants, animals, and humans. RNAi via its tool small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), opens up exciting new avenues for use in gene technology. It is widely applied in many disciplines. Nearly every biological or biomedical lab is using this tool to turn off genes to determine gene functions and their roles in cell division, organogenesis, and pathogenesis of plant, animal, and human diseases as well as therapeutic utilities. RNAi has revolutionized genetics and heralded the start of a new research field. In this chapter, we will first concisely expound the concept, historical discovery, design guideline, and applications of siRNA, and then briefly introduce some online siRNA resources in a step-by-step tutorial format.
