Lab News

Welcome to Zac Kontarakis, who is the head of the new Genome Engineering and Measurement Lab (GEML). The GEML is a new hub, jointly developed by Jacob Corn and the Functional Genomics Center Zurich, that will focus on the development of innovative approaches to genome engineering and their deployment to the Zurich research community. You may know Zac’s work already from his mind-blowing papers on mechanisms of genetic compensation. Stay tuned for more from Zac and the GEML!

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Matthias is a new postdoc in the lab, having joined after completing his Ph.D. with Johannes Zuber at the IMP in Vienna. Welcome!

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Three people joined the lab, all in one day! Erman is a postdoc, interested in DNA repair and genome editing, Kinga is our new lab manager, and will be keeping us all in line. Markus is a bioinformatician, working on quantifying editing outcomes from complex datasets. Welcome to the lab!

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The lab’s manuscript on DISCOVER-seq is out today in Science. DISCOVER-seq is a way to watch Cas enzymes doing their things in any cell, or even an organism. It uses recruitment of DNA repair factors to find off-targets and provides single-nucleotide resolution of Cas repair dynamics. Congrats to co-first authors Beeke Weinert and Stacia Wyman! And thanks to our wonderful collaborators in the Conklin labs and at AstraZeneca.

Want to give DISCOVER-seq a try? There is a very detailed protocol on protocols.io and code on Github.Feel free to reach out if you’re having trouble or want to collaborate.

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Charles moved all the way from Berkeley to Zurich with the Corn Lab. If he had stayed at Berkeley, he would have taken a qualifying exam. Things are a bit different across the pond, but there’s still a milestone at the end of the 2nd year of grad school. Charles passed with flying colors and had the honor of wearing the traditional Corn Costume.

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We have two new Ph.D. students at ETH Zurich: Marija Banovic and Lilly van de Venn. Marija is interested in the biology of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells and translational research with the special emphasis on the implementation of genome editing technologies for therapeutic purposes. Lilly’s interests include DNA repair mechanisms, as well as the potential use of genome editing for therapeutic purposes. Welcome!

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The semester is over, and our undergrads gave stellar presentations over three packed days of Corn Lab Undergradapalooza. Many of the lab undergrads are graduating, which is bittersweet. It’s great to see them doing well, but sad to see them go. Farewell to Saba Ahmed, Leo Chen, Jennifer Chung, Sharon Feng, Rachel Lew, Tracie Luong, Shirley Shao, and Ankita Singh. Wishing you all the very best for each and every one of your future endeavors.

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Chris Richardson joined the lab as a Postdoctoral Fellow in July 2014 and made huge advances in human gene editing. He developed new ways to improve NHEJ and HDR, plus discovered out that genome editing in human cells works via the Fanconi Anemia Pathway. Three major first author papers in three years – not bad! Chris will be joining Spotlight Therapeutics as a Group Leader, and may have some additional career news to share soon. We wish you success in all your future endeavors!

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Not your typical news post! The Corn Lab will be moving to the ETH in Zurich, Switzerland. Jacob is accepting a position as a full professor in the Institute for Molecular Health Sciences. The IGI and UC Berkeley MCB have been wonderful places to do research and work to make an impact on genetic disease. It’s hard to believe that it’s only been 4 years since Jacob moved from Genentech to help start up IGI. And reflecting back, it’s wild to see how much IGI has grown! What a great time!

We’ll be fully moved in October of 2018. The main thrust of my research program won’t change, so get in touch if you’re interested in a Ph.D. or postdoc in working on gene editing, DNA repair, hematopoietic stem cell biology, or organelle autophagy. I’m looking forward to new friends and colleagues, and to having current friends and colleagues come visit the Alps!

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Benjamin Gowen joined our lab as a Postdoctoral Fellow in May 2015 and used the CRISPR/Cas9 system to study T cell regulation. Congratulations on his big step in becoming the Co-Founder and CEO at Peregrine Biotechnology, Inc. Wishing you much luck on your new business venture.

Hong Ma joined the lab as a Research Associate I in February 2016. She has accepted a Research Associate II position in Kramer Lab. Best wishes as you embark on a new challenge.

Rachel Valenzuela joined the IGI staff as a Postdoctoral Fellow in July 2016, and used the CRISPR/Cas9 system to study the factors involved in metabolic disorders in human and mouse models. She will be a Cell Line Engineer at Memphis Meats. Best of luck in your new job!

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