Small non-coding RNAs have been implicated in down-regulating gene expression across species and in multiple biological processes. Thus, understanding small RNA activity is relevant to understanding biological processes such as differentiation during embryogenesis and in the immune system. In addition, small RNAs may be involved in the basis of, as well as provide therapy for diseases including cancer. This Emergence & Convergence mini-symposium will address what we know and what we have yet to understand about the molecular intricacies of the processing and production of these small non-coding RNAs, as well as the mechanistic basis underlying their physiological functions.

Speakers at this one-day meeting work in a broad array of scientific fields but share a common interest in small RNAs. The aim of this mini-symposium is to facilitate discussion and collaboration among diverse scientific disciplines to further our understanding of the function of these enigmatic RNAs.