Rnai: a new technology in the post-genomic sequencing era.

The complete genome sequences and huge numbers of predicted gene sequences from many complex organisms are available. Reverse-genetic analyses of these organisms will now be necessary to understand what all these genes are doing and how their functions interact. RNAi technology is very useful in this regard for studying gene function, not only in these model organisms, but also in the organisms previously considered not to be amenable to genetic analysis. This treatment reviews the discovery of RNAi, advances in the study of the mechanisms by which this material impinges on gene-product expressions, and technical improvements that will allow RNAi to be applied to a wide variety of organisms.