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SUMMARY:If it ain't broke\, break it: using large scale RNAi gene knock-do
 wn screening in human cells to determine gene function. - Ian Sudbery\, We
 llcome Trust Sanger Institute
DTSTART:20061025T114500Z
DTEND:20061025T130000Z
UID:TALK5586@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr Ellen Nisbet
DESCRIPTION:The sequencing of the human genome is complete. The next great
  task for\ngenomics is to determine the function of the sequence\, includi
 ng the\nfunction of the 22\,000 genes contained in it. For many years the 
 best way to\ndetermine the function of a gene in oragnisms such as yeast a
 nd flys has\nbeen to prevent its expression\, and analyze the effect on th
 e cells. This is\nknown as "loss of function" screening. For various techn
 ical and ethical\nreasons this has not been possible in human cell systems
  ... Until now. The\nrecent development of a technique called RNA interfer
 ence (RNAi) has allowed\ngeneticists to rapidly and systematically perform
  loss-of-function\nexperiments on every gene in the human genome. The impo
 rtance of this\ntechnique was recently recognised by the awarding of the N
 obel Prize to Dr\nAndrew Fire and Dr Craig Mello\, the original discoverer
 s of RNAi. In this\ntalk I will describe how loss-of-function screening ca
 n be used examine gene\nfunction\, the technique of RNAi\, and how it is a
 pplied to screening\nprojects. I will illustrate these points by describin
 g my work in the field\,\nincluding a screen to identify genes involved in
  the TRAIL anti-cancer\npathway. 
LOCATION:Entertaining Room\, Darwin College
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