How can we use CRISPR technology to investigate brain wiring? How can current CRISPR technology be modified to be more precise, more efficient, and even perform new functions?
To understand how genetics instruct brain development, we need to be able to perform in situ genome editing in specific cell populations in the brain. One of my goals is to find new ways to use CRISPR to investigate circuit wiring, as potential experimental approaches or future therapeutics.
To increase efficiency and precision of CRISPR mediated knock-in, we have created a new Cas9 fusion protein we call Cas9-RC. This new tool can be introduced into the developing rodent brain via in utero electroporation and knock-in large tags onto genetic loci of interest. To learn more about Cas9-RC, check out our paper on BioRxiv (Richardson et al. Cas9 fusions for precision in vivo editing https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.15.199620v2)
In addition to Cas9-RC, I also use CRISPR activation/interference (CRISPRa/i) to investigate how changes in gene dosage during development can affect circuit wiring.
To understand how genetics instruct brain development, we need to be able to perform in situ genome editing in specific cell populations in the brain. One of my goals is to find new ways to use CRISPR to investigate circuit wiring, as potential experimental approaches or future therapeutics.
To increase efficiency and precision of CRISPR mediated knock-in, we have created a new Cas9 fusion protein we call Cas9-RC. This new tool can be introduced into the developing rodent brain via in utero electroporation and knock-in large tags onto genetic loci of interest. To learn more about Cas9-RC, check out our paper on BioRxiv (Richardson et al. Cas9 fusions for precision in vivo editing https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.15.199620v2)
In addition to Cas9-RC, I also use CRISPR activation/interference (CRISPRa/i) to investigate how changes in gene dosage during development can affect circuit wiring.
