Another Layer of Complexity: Short lengths of RNA could provide new form of genetic control

Most of the human genome is so-called junk DNA, which contains no code for proteins and was long thought to be useless. Now, researchers have found that a relatively large portion of this genetic material could help regulate the activity of nearby genes.

“This points to a new layer of control and complexity of the genome,” says Aarron Willingham, a member of the team that conducted the study at Affymetrix, a Santa Clara, Calif.,