In the early stages of an RNA revolution, the potential of RNA technology to transform human and veterinary medicine, agriculture, and industry, is emergent in much the same way as the advent of recombinant DNA in the 1980s, which created and disrupted products and markets. The revolution has been heralded by the realization that RNA plays a more fundamental role in biology than that reflected in the classical central molecular biology dogma DNA to RNA to protein to phenotype. The new consensus is that RNA plays a more fundamental role in biology, directly regulating protein function and phenotype. Non-protein coding RNA accounts for more than 95% of the transcriptional output of human, animal, and plant genomes and regulates gene expression, chromatin remodeling, and cellular growth. The number of noncoding RNAs exceeds that of protein-coding RNAs, including inherited changes, significantly increasing the number of inherited genes.

This textbook offers a comprehensive overview of the biology of RNA and is a companion volume to The Biology of RNA: The Fundamentals, The Practical Applications of RNA: Medicine, and The Practical Applications of RNA: Agriculture and Industry. Chapters are structured to enhance learning and retention with the use of overviews, learning objectives, and clearly highlighted key concepts, definitions, and points to remember. Chapters are rounded out with case studies, exercises, and quizzes to encourage readers to think and apply new knowledge. Capturing the state of research and offering insight on emerging topics and future knowledge trends, this textbook is a pivotal resource for advanced students and researchers in molecular biology, and any reader interested in learning more about this rapidly advancing field.