For many years, gene expression was viewed as a linear process: genes are transcribed into full-length mRNAs, which are then translated into proteins. While alternative splicing expanded this view, it still assumed that functional output comes primarily from intact transcripts.

The RNA Dicing Lab sets a fundemental challenge to this conception. We found that most mRNAs undergo internal cleavage, generating stable, truncated RNA isoforms that are not degradation products but regulated molecules with independent function. These diced RNAs can be translated from non-canonical start sites, producing protein isoforms that escape standard gene annotations.

This led to the RNA dicing model - a modular layer of gene regulation in which RNA processing actively rewires gene output. Rather than a single protein per gene, RNA dicing enables the production of context-specific isoforms with distinct - and sometimes opposing - functions.