Junk No Mo: Scientists Turn Genetic Junk into Master Controller

You'll pardon two Aussies for their mixed metaphors. They represent the cutting edge of young scientists who have ditched the "junk DNA" label entirely. They now recognize the powerful regulatory role of micro-RNAs in the non-coding portions of the genome. Writing at The Conversation, Pamela Ajuyah (PhD student) and Nham Tran (lab head) at the University of Technology in Sydney begin their metaphors with a familiar irritation: junk mail.

Up until about two decades ago, one type of RNA, calle...