Method for identifying genes that are upstream regulators of other genes of interest

A method for identifying a regulatory gene that regulates the expression of a pre-selected gene of interest, the method comprising the steps of:

• placing a sample in a section of a grid wherein the sample comprises genetic material comprising the pre-selected gene of interest and more than three predetermined genes;
• silencing the expression of predetermined genes in the sample, whereby in each section of the grid more than three predetermined genes are silenced;
• determining the amount of at least one protein of interest or RNA of interest from the pre-selected gene of interest in each section of the grid;
• identifying the sections in the grid wherein a change in the amount of the protein or the RNA is present as compared to a control;
• placing the sample on a second grid;
• silencing each of the predetermined genes in the identified sections of the grid individually, in different sections of the second grid;
• identifying the sections in the second grid in which the expression of the protein or RNA is increased or decreased as compared to a control and
• recognizing the revealed predetermined gene silenced in a particular section of the grid, wherein the expression of the protein or RNA is increased or decreased as a regulator gene of the pre-selected gene of interest.