The Kim Lab studies how microRNAs and other classes of endogenous small noncoding RNAs regulate fundamental biological processes including regulation of post-embryonic and germline development, transposon silencing to preserve genome integrity, and oncogenic cell proliferation. The RNA interference (RNAi) and microRNA pathways regulate these diverse activities through sequence-specific gene silencing mechanisms mediated by small RNAs.

We use a multidisciplinary approach to elucidate the global dynamics and molecular mechanisms of small RNA-mediated biological processes. These include genetic and functional genomic RNAi screens, cell and molecular biology approaches, biochemical/proteomic strategies, and bioinformatic analyses of next-generation RNA sequencing data. The goal of our lab is to investigate the molecular mechanisms of small RNA biogenesis, regulation of target gene expression and silencing, and the biological functions of these emerging gene regulatory pathways in C. elegans as well as mammalian cell systems.