Our 'hairpin RNAi' technology is opening a new field of biotech applications for plants and animals.
Switching off specific genes in plants or animals is a challenge for biotechnology researchers.
Switching off genes can help scientists understand what individual genes do. An effective technology to switch off genes could also be used to:
The breakthrough
CSIRO scientists, working initially in plants, led the way to switching off genes by RNA interference (RNAi).
In 1995, a CSIRO team led by Dr Peter Waterhouse discovered that double-stranded RNA was the trigger for RNA interference (RNAi) or gene silencing. In 1997, the scientists demonstrated that gene constructs producing hairpin RNAi (hpRNAi) are the most effective method for silencing gene expression in plants.
The RNAi mechanism operates in all higher organisms and was first published by Dr Peter Waterhouse and his team in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science in 1998.
“[CSIRO's] historic 1998 paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science did more than any other to illuminate the mechanism of gene silencing”
Dr Andy Fire,
Stanford University
USA
A powerful scientific tool
RNAi is a useful research tool to determine the function of genes.
RNAi also takes the science of functional genomics out of model experimental systems, such as Arabidopsis and mice, to allow scientists to study gene function in most plants and animals.
Product applications
CSIRO is working with commercial and academic collaborators to develop specific applications of hairpin RNAi.
Our scientists also continue to develop new tools, technologies and techniques to improve the delivery, potency and ease of use of our hairpin RNAi technologies.
Working with CSIRO
Through its Divisions of Livestock Industries and Plant Industry, CSIRO has substantial expertise in the development of gene silencing solutions.
We are developing products in partnership with crop, horticulture, livestock, aquaculture and biopharmaceutical industries.
Our commercial partners value the efficient access to:
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proprietary tools
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technologies
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know-how
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delivery systems.
Commercial Opportunity
CSIRO has embarked on a broad licensing strategy to provide access to this powerful technology.
Licence rights are available in selected fields to organisations interested in undertaking R&D or wishing to develop, market and sell products incorporating hairpin RNAi.
Plant hairpin RNAi vectors have been distributed to more than 2 000 academic research labs worldwide.
If you are interested in securing a licence or would like to find out more about available licensing opportunities, please contact Mr Matt Lohmeyer (animals) or Dr Bill Taylor (plants and insects) at CSIRO.
Read more at CSIRO's hairpinRNAi website.
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