Systems-level analysis of host-pathogen interaction using RNA interference

► RNA interference is a dsRNA-mediated silencing mechanism operating in eukaryotes. ► RNAi allows to systematically evaluate gene function in a genome-wide manner. ► RNAi screens provide a rich source of functional data for follow-up studies. ► RNAi is sensitive to off-target effects and cell population context. ► RNAi technology for biomedical applications has advanced to clinical trials.