title: Developing microRNA screening as a functional genomics tool for disease research.
abstract: Originally discovered as regulators of developmental timing in C. elegans, microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as modulators of nearly every cellular process, from normal development to pathogenesis. With the advent of whole genome libraries of miRNA mimics suitable for high throughput screening, it is possible to comprehensively evaluate the function of each member of the miRNAome in cell-based assays. Since the relatively few microRNAs in the genome are thought to directly regulate a large portion of the proteome, miRNAome screening, coupled with the identification of the regulated proteins, might be a powerful new approach to gaining insight into complex biological processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA ; Muscle Development and Regeneration Program, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute La Jolla, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lemons
authors.forename: Mano R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Maurya
authors.forename: Shankar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Subramaniam
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mercola
keywords: functional genomics; functional screens; microRNA target; protein-protein interaction; proteomics; systems biology and network biology