siRNA Design Criteria and Validation Data

Eight previously undisclosed small interfering RNA (siRNA) design criteria along with the data validating their functionality in gene silencing have been published in a scientific paper appearing in the February 1, 2004, online issue of Nature Biotechnology.

The design criteria were developed by Dharmacon, Inc. (Lafayette, CO, USA), which has employed rational methods for siRNA design since 2002. The basis for this rational design was extended to a total of 25 criteria forming the foundation of the company's Smartselection technology platform. Smartselection design significantly enhances the probability of efficient silencing and provides a high degree of potency and specificity. Dharmacon is making all eight of the disclosed criteria available through its online siRNA design tool, siDesign Center.

In the published paper, Dharmacon scientists identify eight criteria associated with siRNA by performing a systematic analysis of a large set of siRNAs targeting multiple genes. Each individual criterion alone is not sufficient to ensure gene silencing, but incorporating all eight into a single multi-component algorithm was over 96% effective in predicting functional siRNAs. The criteria include internal thermodynamic stability, a lack of internal repeats, and positional sequence-specific determinants.


"We felt it was time to elevate the current standard of publicly available design tools by making the eight criteria available to the scientific community through our free online siDesign Center siRNA design tool,” said Stephan A. Scaringe, Ph.D., co-chairman and chief scientific officer of Dharmacon.




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