Seeing is believing: Microscopy in RNAi research

RNA interference (RNAi) is, arguably, one of the most significant medical breakthroughs of recent years. The ability of RNAi to silence genes provides scientists with a highly specific new tool for investigating gene and protein function. Not only can it be used to explore the complex relationships between genes, proteins and disease, but it also offers the promise of new therapeutics targeting disease-causing genes. In this article, we investigate how microscopy can help researchers visualize and monitor processes in this growing research field.