Willingham, A.T. et al. A strategy for probing the function of noncoding RNAs finds a repressor of NFAT.
To probe the function of postnatal progenitors, a conditional mutant allele of Foxn1 was reverted to wild-type function in single epithelial cells in vivo.
These studies demonstrate the power of the CRISPR/Cas9 system to probe the function of putative oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes in mouse models more rapidly than previous approaches.
Once this is achieved, the entire repertoire of yeast genetics is available to probe the function of the gene, or to engineer the expression in useful ways.
This approach provides a way to define limits on the complexity of network interactions and thus may be relevant for probing the function of many neural circuits.
When combined, these techniques make it possible to probe the function of the lateral-line sensory system in an intact zebrafish using controlled, repeatable, physiological stimuli.
Single molecule techniques such as optical trapping(8), atomic force microscopy(9), and magnetic tweezers(10,11) allow researchers to probe the function of enzymes at a molecular level by exerting forces on individual proteins.
In addition to examining mechanical properties, bead microinjection is also useful for probing the function of the cytoskeleton by coating beads with drugs that interfere with the cytoskeleton.
Given their often exquisite potency and target selectivity, venom peptides provide unique biochemical tools for probing the function of membrane proteins at the molecular level.
