This has been a quiet forum, so I will try to break the ice.

A technique for associating a function with a gene is to knock down the expression of the gene and observe the resulting changes in cells or organisms. I work with Morpholino antisense oligos, molecules that can be targeted to halt translation, redirect splicing or block miRNA maturation. These oligos are usually used in embryonic studies of zebrafish, Xenopus, Ciona or other developmental model organisms, but they are also applicable in cell cultures. Their use in intact adult organisms is limited by cytosolic delivery, with is too slow to be experimentally useful in most cells. New techniques, such as covalently attaching cell penetrating peptides to Morpholinos, have shown promise as adult in vivo delivery techniques.

What are the rest of you working on?

Regards,

- Jon