Researchers hone in on the best software for detecting microRNAs in plants

Almost twenty years ago, the process of RNA silencing was discovered in plants, whereby small fragments of RNA inactivate a portion of a gene during protein synthesis. These fragments--called microRNAs (abbreviated as miRNAs)--have since been shown to be essential at nearly every stage of growth and development in plants, from the production of flowers, stems, and roots to the ways plants interact with their environment and ward off infection.

The detection and characterization of miRNAs is an active field of research. In the decade following their discovery in plants, over 1,000 bioinformatic tools were used to identify miRNAs and map out potential places to look for them.

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