Characterization of a New Gene Required for RNA Interference

RNA干扰（RNAi）是最近发现的双链RNA沉默基因活性的过程。由于RNAi相关现象对正常发育至关重要，并且RNAi现在是生物学家研究不同生物中基因功能的宝贵工具，并且由于RNAi作为人类治疗剂的长期潜力，因此其发生的机制仅被部分理解，并且引起了极大的兴趣。本项目重点研究RNA干扰所需的新基因。该基因的序列为该基因如何在RNAi中发挥作用提出了具体的、可测试的假设。这个项目的主要目标是确定这个基因的功能。预计这项工作将对理解这一重要途径作出重要贡献。本研究项目将包括培养本科生的科研能力，每位本科生将参加一次年度会议，展示他们的研究成果。首席研究员是北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校研究教育支持计划的教师导师，该计划支持来自代表性不足的少数群体的学生获得研究经验并参加博士课程。

RNA interference (RNAi) is the recently-discovered process by which double-stranded RNA silences gene activity. The mechanism by which this occurs is only partially understood, and is of great interest, since RNAi-related phenomena are essential for normal development, because RNAi is now an invaluable tool to biologists studying gene function in diverse organisms, and because of the long-term potential for using RNAi as a therapeutic agent in humans. This project focuses on a new gene required for RNA interference. The sequence of this gene suggests specific, testable hypotheses for how this gene might function in RNAi. The primary goal of this project is to determine how this gene functions. It is expected that this work will make essential contributions to understanding this important pathway. This research project will include training undergraduate students in scientific research, and each undergraduate student will attend an annual conference to present their findings. The principal investigator is a faculty mentor in UNC Chapel Hill's Research Education Support Program, which supports students from under-represented minority groups to gain research experiences and to enroll in Ph.D. programs.