What method allows researchers to reduce the expression of a target gene, even in wild type organisms that have not previously been genetically modified

RNA interference

Explanation:

The RNA interference (RNAi) pathway is a naturally occurring mechanism in which regulatory non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) suppress gene expression by targeting messenger RNAs (mRNAs). The RNAi technique is used in molecular biology laboratories and biotechnology applications to reduce the expression of target genes by delivering small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules targeting a gene of interest. These siRNAs are artificially synthesized to bind by complementarity to the target mRNAs, thereby they can be used for transient gene silencing. This technique does not require genetic modification of the cells, since RNAi can be achieved by direct exogenous delivery of siRNAs.

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