RNA Nanotechnology

Book excerpt: In the past few decades there has been incredible growth in "bionano"-related research, which has been accompanied by numerous publications in this field. Although various compilations address topics related to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and protein, there are few books that focus on determining the structure of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and using RNA as building blocks to construct nanoarchitectures for biomedical and healthcare applications. RNA Nanotechnology is a comprehensive volume that details both the traditional approaches and the latest developments in the field of RNA-related technology. This book targets a wide audience: a broad introduction provides a solid academic background for students, researchers, and scientists who are unfamiliar with the subject, while the in-depth descriptions and discussions are useful for advanced professionals. The book opens with reviews on the basic aspects of RNA biology, computational approaches for predicting RNA structures, and traditional and emerging experimental approaches for probing RNA structures. This section is followed by explorations of the latest research and discoveries in RNA nanotechnology, including the design and construction of RNA-based nanostructures. The final segment of the book includes descriptions and discussions of the potential biological and therapeutic applications of small RNA molecules, such as small/short interfering RNAs (siRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), RNA aptamers, and ribozymes.