Vector-based RNAi approaches for stable, inducible and genome-wide screens

RNA interference (RNAi) has revolutionized the study of biology and offers numerous applications in basic biology as well as in drug discovery research. Since the discovery of RNAi, several tools have been developed to enable loss-of-function studies in mammalian systems. The efficacy of RNAi is dependent on specific and versatile RNAi triggers that have evolved to enable transient, stable and in-vivo applications. Recently developed genome-wide short hairpin RNA (shRNA) and microRNA-adapted short hairpin RNA (shRNAmir) libraries incorporate advances in shRNA design and molecular ‘barcodes’ to enable more complex RNAi screens and the opportunity to progress to more complex genetics in whole animals.