To create a knockout model, researchers typically use gene editing technologies such as CRISPR-Cas9. This method involves designing guide RNAs that target the gene of interest, which is then cut by the Cas9 protein, leading to mutations that inactivate the gene. Knockdown models are usually created using small interfering RNA (siRNA) or short hairpin RNA (shRNA), which degrade the mRNA of the target gene, thus reducing its expression. Both methods are invaluable for studying gene function in a histological context.
