The overall goals of this research are to identify and established a database of rice and maize small RNAs, identify miRNAs and other functional small RNAs, map miRNA transcription units and measure the expression patterns of miRNAs and other small RNAs during development and as a function of biotic and abiotic stress.

We have currently sequenced a large number of small RNAs from rice and maize using 454 Life Science's high-throughput sequencing technology. A web interface to the data is being established to include all small RNA sequences, the location of siRNAs and miRNA genes, predicted and validated miRNA and siRNA targets, structure of miRNA precursors and pattern of small RNA accumulation.