Small interfering RNA

One of the most significant advances in recent years has been the discovery of the small (20-30 nucleotide) non-coding RNAs that regulate genes and genomes. This regulation can occur at some of the most important levels of genome function, including RNA processing, chromatin structure, RNA stability, chromosome segregation, transcription and translation.

Small interfering RNA, abbreviated siRNA, are small, single- or double-stranded ribonucleic acid molecules of 20 to 25 base pairs in length. They thus belong to the group of small non-coding RNAs that regulate genes and genomes.

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