Kevin Morris Epigenetics 2013

Kevin Morris

Kevin V. Morris is an american born scientist who discovered that non-coding RNAs can control gene transcription in human cells when directed to gene promoters (Morris et al., 2004; Weinberg et al., 2006). Studies from his lab were also the first to determine that an endogenous mechanism is active in human cells, which utilizes longer forms of non-coding RNAs to modulate gene transcription by targeting epigenetic complexes to promoter loci (Han, 2007; Hawkins and Morris, 2010a; Morris et al., 2008). The Morris lab has successfully utilize this endogenous mechanism to control the expression of genes involved in human diseases ranging from cancer to HIV-1 (Hawkins et al., 2009; Turner et al., 2009). Collectively, these discoveries have resulted in two distinct paradigm shifts in modern molecular biology. The first shift is the radical notion that RNA can affect transcription by specifically modulating the epigenetic landscape of particular loci in the human genome. Such a notion runs counter to our current understanding of gene transcription and regulation and suggests that non-coding RNAs may function as drivers of natural selection in humans (Mattick, 2007; Taft et al., 2009). The second shift in our collective understanding is rooted in the notion that sequence specific small non-coding RNAs can be generated de novo and functionally utilize the endogenous non-coding RNA machinery to regulate gene transcription, either turn a gene on or off (Turner and Morris, 2010). The power of controlling gene transcription in a specific and cognitive manner is only now become realized. This realization is the result of the initial discoveries attributed to the Morris lab as is becoming increasingly evident by his international standing.