Phillips lab

Small RNA pathways protect the genome against foreign RNAs, such as viruses, in addition to regulating many endogenous RNAs, including aberrant transcripts, pseudogenes, and non-coding regions. The Phillips lab uses genetics, cell biology, and biochemistry to understand how RNA silencing pathways promote proper gene expression and maintain germline integrity and totipotency. Our research will have important implications in the understanding of how RNA silencing pathways inhibit transposon movement and repress aberrant RNAs to prevent deleterious gene mutations that can result in infertility, birth defects, as well cancer and other diseases.