Lab News

Next generation guide RNAs for genome-wide CRISPR screens

IGI Co-Director Jonathan Weissman, Scientific Director Jacob Corn, Research Scientist Chong Park, and other colleagues have developed the next generation...

READ MORE

IGI Co-Director Jonathan Weissman, Scientific Director Jacob Corn, Research Scientist Chong Park, and other colleagues have developed the next generation of guide RNAs (gRNAs) for high-throughput CRISPR screens. Establishing rules for the design of effective gRNAs is critical to making CRISPR activation and repression screens more specific and robust. Based on recent observations that compacted DNA inhibits Cas9 access, the team modified their guide RNA design algorithm to target more open, expanded regions of human and mouse genomes. Taking chromatin, position, and sequence features into account allowed for the design of highly active guide RNA libraries.

gRNA library design tools are available on Github.  The improved gRNA libraries will soon be available on AddGene.

Compact and highly active next-generation libraries for CRISPR-mediated gene repression and activation  
eLife | Jonathan Weissman, Jacob Corn, Chong Park, et al | September 23, 2016

X Close

IGI researchers increase CRISPR-Cas9 efficiency

IGI Researchers have discovered a way to increase the efficiency with which CRISPR-Cas9 technology cuts and disables genes in cells.  In culture, “knockout”...

READ MORE

IGI Researchers have discovered a way to increase the efficiency with which CRISPR-Cas9 technology cuts and disables genes in cells.  In culture, “knockout” cell lines allow researchers to better understand the role of genetic information, and may eventually improve therapies for human genetic diseases.  

Non-homologous DNA increases gene disruption efficiency by altering DNA repair outcomes
Nature Communications | Chris Richardson, Jacob Corn, et al | August 17, 2016

Press Release
CRISPR-Cas9 breaks genes better if you disrupt DNA repair
UC Berkeley News | Robert Sanders | August 17, 2016

X Close

Bay Area Embraces CRISPR-Cas9 Technology

In this new article for the June issue of Discover Magazine, Jeff Wheelwright takes a tour of the Bay Area’s active biotech world, talking with a wide...

READ MORE

In this new article for the June issue of Discover Magazine, Jeff Wheelwright takes a tour of the Bay Area’s active biotech world, talking with a wide range of researchers – from high-school kids to global corporations – who are embracing CRISPR-Cas9 genetic engineering technology.

The Revolution Will Be Edited: In the San Francisco Bay Area, from global corporations to kids, everyone is embracing the breakthrough gene-editing technology CRISPR 
Discover Magazine | Jeff Wheelwright | May 2, 2016

X Close

IGI receives CIRM Inception Award to study mechanisms in blood cancers

The IGI has been awarded a CIRM Inception Award to use gene editing in bone marrow stem cells in order to discover mechanisms that lead to certain types of blood...

READ MORE

The IGI has been awarded a CIRM Inception Award to use gene editing in bone marrow stem cells in order to discover mechanisms that lead to certain types of blood cancers.  The CIRM Inception Awards provide seed funding to support the exploration of transformational ideas that hold the potential to greatly impact the field of human stem cell research.  The IGI will use genetic engineering to determine how mutations frequently observed in the bone marrow stem cells of patients lead to a family of diseases called meyloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs).  The MPN disorders are characterized by over-production of certain blood cells, such as red blood cells or platelets, but it is unclear how patient mutations cause these disorders.  A better understanding of how MPN-associated mutations lead to disease could eventually lead to better therapies for patients suffering from MPN.

X Close

IGI receives CIRM CESCG CRP grant to study gene correction for SCD

The IGI has been awarded a CIRM grant to develop next-generation sequencing approaches to track gene correction in bone marrow stem cells for the treatment...

READ MORE

The IGI has been awarded a CIRM grant to develop next-generation sequencing approaches to track gene correction in bone marrow stem cells for the treatment of sickle cell disease. The CIRM Center of Excellence in Stem Cell Genomics (CESCG) Collaborative Research Program (CRP) supports collaborative research projects by providing California scientists with access to cutting-edge genomics and bioinformatics technologies, and expertise and assistance in experimental design and data analysis. Working with CESCG, the IGI will determine how bone marrow stem cells respond to genetic engineering, characterize on- and off-target gene editing in these challenging cells, and work to move research on a gene editing cure for sickle cell disease closer to the clinic.

X Close

Cas9 Genome Engineering: From Mechanism to Therapy

IGI Scientific Director Jacob Corn presented this talk on Cas9 genome engineering, from mechanism to therapy during a session entitled “Emergent...

READ MORE

IGI Scientific Director Jacob Corn presented this talk on Cas9 genome engineering, from mechanism to therapy during a session entitled “Emergent Technologies to Understand Disease” at the 2016 Institute for Systems Biology International Symposium: Emerging Technologies for Systems Biology.

 

X Close

IGI Researcher Alan Wang Receives NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

IGI Graduate Student Researcher Alan Wang has been awarded a 2016 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.  Alan received his BA in biology and anthropology...

READ MORE

IGI Graduate Student Researcher Alan Wang has been awarded a 2016 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.  Alan received his BA in biology and anthropology from Amherst College in 2012, working with Professor Dominic Poccia to examine the role of diacylglycerol in shaping biological membranes. He was a research assistant at the NIH and UCSF before joining the IGI as a graduate student in May 2015, using Cas9 to study locus specific protein composition. 

alan

 

Press Release

NSF awards 2016 Graduate Research Fellowships 
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program | March 29, 2016

X Close

Gene-y in a Bottle

IGI Scientific Director Jacob Corn and IGI Research Associate Katelynn Kazane spoke with Seth Shostak and Molly Bentley about CRISPR technology in ...

READ MORE

IGI Scientific Director Jacob Corn and IGI Research Associate Katelynn Kazane spoke with Seth Shostak and Molly Bentley about CRISPR technology in an interview for Big Picture Science at the SETI Institute.  

Gene-y in a Bottle
Big Picture Science | Seth Shostak and Molly Bentley | March 21, 2016

CRISPR technology enables researchers to change the genetic code by removing and changing the order of genetic information in a cell or organism.  It is now easily accessibly and it is taking the science of genetic modification to new levels of precision and speed.  Other guests on this program include Lee Goldman (Cardiologist, Dean of Columbia University Medical Center, and author of “Too Much of a Good Thing; How Four Key Survival Traits Are Now Killing Us”) and Josiah Zayner (Biohacker and former NASA synthetic biologist).

 

X Close

New lab members

Welcome to four new lab members:  Katelynn Kazane, Hong Ma, Julia Chu and Nicki Naddaf.

Katelynn and Hong are research associates, working on CRISPRi screens...

READ MORE

Welcome to four new lab members:  Katelynn Kazane, Hong Ma, Julia Chu and Nicki Naddaf.

Katelynn and Hong are research associates, working on CRISPRi screens in challenging biological contexts. Julia is our new lab manager, helping bring order to chaos, and Nicki is an undergrad volunteer working with Benjamin on using CRISPR in cells of the immune system.

screen-shot-2016-02-19-at-2-59-17-pm-300x3002x hong julia  

 

 

 

 

X Close

CRISPR Technology: extending the frontiers of scientific research

In his article today for The Washington Post, IGI Scientific Director Jacob Corn explains how CRISPR technology is “democratizing” gene editing research...

READ MORE

In his article today for The Washington Post, IGI Scientific Director Jacob Corn explains how CRISPR technology is “democratizing” gene editing research in its ability to dramatically accelerate biological discovery by giving researchers an unprecedented opportunity to delve deeply into a wide variety of biological systems that were previously impenetrable.  CRISPR’s biggest impact on most people’s lives won’t be in the curing of genetic diseases:  “It’s much larger: the widening of our horizon of discovery, which could lead to advances we can’t even imagine.”  

| Jacob Corn | February 23, 2016

X Close

FILTERS

Tweets

Contact Us

Questions and/or comments about Corn Lab and its activities may be addressed to:

JACOB.CORN@BIOL.ETHZ.CH

Share: