Controlling gene effects

University of Queensland researchers have discovered and developed a way to turn up or turn down the effects of a gene.

The research has been patented and will soon be commercially available in kit-form to scientists enabling them to control and manage the activity of genes they are studying. Known as the GeneDimmer, after its ability to either dim or amplify the effects of a gene, the research was headed by Drs Joseph Rothnagel and Xue-Qing Wang.

Dr Rothnagel said GeneDimmer applications are many and varied and it can be used to: increase fibre-yield and optimise pest resistance in transgenic crops; increase production levels in industrial enzymes; increase pharmaceutical yields; for gene therapy dosage control and probes for detecting cancer and other diseases in clinical trials; and for research of gene and protein functions. "GeneDimmer can either dim down the performance of gene expression by 85% or amplify it by up to 300%," he said.