ShmoopTube

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[ whoosh ]

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We speak student!

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[ whoosh ]

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Molecular Genetics [Blood cells]

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RNA Interference

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A la Shmoop

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We're talking biology with Dr. Ruth Tennen [David introduces Dr. Ruth Tennen]

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and we're gonna talk now about biotechnology.

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Okay, what is RNA interference? [Blood cells separate and the question appears on the screen]

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So, RNA interference, or RNAi,

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is a way of regulating or turning down

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gene expression for specific genes

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using double stranded RNA. [Dr. Ruth Tennen explains gene expressions using double stranded RNA]

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Give us an example of a gene expression

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you'd wanna turn down.

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Okay, so let's say you had --

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I'm gonna use a cancer example again.

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Let's say you had a gene that you thought was required [A segment of RNA highlights]

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for a cancer cell to be alive.

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You could use RNA interference to turn off that gene, basically,

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and see if the cancer cell was still able to survive.

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[ shrieking ] [The bomb explodes and cancer cell is destroyed]

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So, like the cancer cell lived off a certain type of carbon

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- Sure. - or a certain type of whatever.

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It would be something that would be like

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- resistant to that carbon. - Mm-hmm. [David shows various hand gestures]

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Yeah, and the cool thing about RNA interference --

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Because you're not actually messing up the DNA, [DNA and RNA strands]

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you're just messing up the RNA,

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if you get rid of the, kind of, inducer,

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if you get rid of the double-stranded RNA, [RNA strand drops down]

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you can turn the gene back on.

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So it's kind of a reversible or temporary change,

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rather than getting rid of it.

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Got it. Okay. Very cool.

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[ whoop ]

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What is RNA interference? [Questions on RNA Interference and gene expression appears on the screen]

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What's an example of a gene expression you'd wanna turn down?

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[ shrieking ]

Full Transcript