Measuring global, loci-specific RNA degradation to interrogate RNA dysregulation in down syndrome during development

Individuals with Down Syndrome are at higher risks for many adverse health conditions and evidence suggests many of these conditions are due to abnormal regulation of RNA during development. We have developed a method of quantifying transcription and RNA degradation using a time series of paired sequencing assays, analyzed with a differential model. We apply this method to the development of neural progenitor cells, which we anticipate will help to shed light on the root causes of cognitive defects in Down syndrome.