siVirus

siVirus identifies and designs siRNAs targeting conserved regions across divergent viral genomes to enable antiviral RNA interference (RNAi) while minimizing off-target interactions.

Key Features:

• Conserved-region targeting: Identifies highly conserved, structurally and functionally constrained regions across divergent viral sequences.
• siRNA design: Designs short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) optimized for RNA interference (RNAi) efficacy.
• Off-target evaluation: Assesses and minimizes potential unintended interactions with host cellular components.
• Broad-pathogen scope: Enables design of siRNAs for highly divergent viruses including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), influenza virus, and SARS coronavirus.
• Optimization algorithm: Employs a comprehensive search algorithm to select siRNA sequences that balance efficacy and specificity.

Scientific Applications:

• Antiviral siRNA development: Design of siRNAs for antiviral research and therapeutic development against HIV, HCV, influenza virus, and SARS coronavirus.
• Conserved target identification: Identification of structurally and functionally constrained viral elements to reduce the likelihood of escape mutants.
• RNAi-based functional studies: Support for virology and molecular biology studies that use RNA interference to probe viral gene function and suppression.

Methodology:

A comprehensive search algorithm identifies optimal siRNA sequences capable of achieving efficient RNAi while minimizing unintended interactions with host cellular components.