Biotech Updates

SIROCCO – Silencing Genes for Health and Agriculture

May 11, 2007

RNA silencing is a natural mechanism of gene regulation in cells. Small RNA molecules are involved in the degradation of their target genes, regulating in this way their expression. Bringing together 17 world-class laboratories and companies from nine European countries, the SIROCCO consortium hopes to make significant inroads in the study of this revolutionary technique. The goal of the consortium is to exploit RNA silencing mechanisms in order to improve human and plant health. The outputs of SIROCCO will include databases of silencing RNAs’ sequence and function in several organisms, and new technologies for detection and manipulation of these molecules.

 “Only a few years ago it was unknown, but now RNA silencing is one of the most powerful tools available to researchers. We can use it to understand the function of genes and the mechanisms of cellular regulation,” said Professor David Baulcombe of the Sainsbury Laboratory at the John Innes Centre, the leading partner in SIROCCO.

 More information available in http://www.sirocco-project.eu/ and
http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=EN_NEWS&ACTION=D&SESSION=&RCN=27533.