E-Mail IMAGE: Aaliyah Shodeinde, a fourth-year graduate researcher in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering working in professor and drug delivery pioneer Nicholas Peppas' lab. view more Credit: The University of Texas at Austin Viruses attack the body by sending their genetic code -- DNA and RNA -- into cells and multiplying. A promising class of therapeutics that uses synthetic nucleic acids to target and shut down specific, harmful genes and prevent viruses from spreading is gaining steam. However, only a handful of siRNA, or other RNA interference-based therapeutics have been approved. One of the main problems is getting the siRNA into the body and guiding it to the target.