Panel Discussion: CRISPR screening in practice and its potential
CRISPR screening methods offer researchers a comprehensive approach to discover novel insights into disease mechanisms, identify new genetic and epigenetic markers, and facilitate the acceleration of drug discovery pipelines. The recent development of single-cell CRISPR screens, with its increased resolution and scalability, has led to even greater, unbiased insights and understanding of disease pathways.
In this panel discussion, experts will discuss CRISPR screening tools, potential challenges and their tips for best practice when utilizing these methods. They will also discuss perspectives on where they believe CRISPR screening will have the biggest impact in the future and what novel applications it could be used to explore.
What will you learn?
- CRISPR screening technology approaches and best practice
- Potential challenges and limitations of using these tools, and how to overcome these
- Current applications of CRISPR screening technologies
- Benefits of using single-cell CRISPR screening
- The potential of CRISPR screening
Who may this interest?
- Academics/Universities
- Research Institutions
- Pharma/Biotech
- Those with an interest in drug discovery, functional genomics/gene editing, disease mechanisms
Panelists
Andrew Bassett
Head of Cellular and Gene Editing Research
Wellcome Sanger Institute (Cambridge, UK)
Andrew Bassett leads the Cellular and Gene Editing Research group at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, which develops genome engineering techniques and cellular differentiation methods primarily in human pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and their differentiated derivatives. He has a particular interest in understanding regulation of gene expression networks during development and in neurodegenerative disease. His work includes developing methods for scaling genome engineering protocols, modulating the epigenetic and transcriptional status of a cell, and improving the efficiency and specificity of genome engineering technology. He is particularly interested in the design and application of a variety of pooled and arrayed genetic screening approaches in iPSC-derived model systems with more complex editing events (e.g. natural variation, SNPs, paired gene knockouts, long deletions, enhancer perturbations) and readouts (e.g. single cell ‘omics, cellular phenotypic assays). His group works as part of the OpenTargets consortium to apply such techniques to understanding the genetic causes of neurodegenerative diseases and identify, prioritize and validate therapeutic targets.
Prior to joining the Sanger Institute, he obtained his PhD at the MRC-LMB (Cambridge, UK) with Andrew Travers on the role of chromatin remodelling in heterochromatin formation. After this, his postdoctoral work focused on the role of small RNAs in targeting chromatin modifications with David Baulcombe in Cambridge (UK) and the function of long non-coding RNA molecules with Chris Ponting at the MRC-FGU (Oxford, UK). Here he was one of the first to develop CRISPR in Drosophila. This led him to set up Genome Engineering Oxford and there he was involved in projects including the production of sgRNA libraries, and development of methods to investigate miRNA target site functionality in vivo.
Luke Gilbert
Assistant Professor
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF; CA, USA)
Luke Gilbert is an Assistant Professor at UCSF. Gilbert was an early pioneer in repurposed CRISPR systems that are used to turn genes on (CRISPRa) and off (CRISPRi) by editing the epigenome. More recently, the Gilbert lab has developed new strategies for editing heritable epigenetic memories (CRISPRoff/on) and for systematically mapping human genetic interactions at very large scales or at single cell resolution. The Gilbert lab is focusing on using CRISPR functional genomics expertise to tackle big problems in human biology.
Gary Hon
Assistant Professor
UT Southwestern Medical Center (TX, USA)
Gary Hon is an Assistant Professor in the Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Gary did his graduate and post-doctoral studies with Bing Ren at the University of California, San Diego (CA, USA), where he studied epigenetics and gene regulation. His lab uses a high throughput genome engineering of single cells to understand the genetic basis of normal and disease cell states.
Ariel Royall
Senior Scientist
10x Genomics (CA, USA)
Ariel Royall is a Senior Scientist at 10x Genomics, where she focuses on the development of new single cell multiomic capabilities. Prior to joining 10x, Ariel earned her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from the University of Texas (TX, USA) and PhD from the University of Oregon (OR, USA), where she developed new NGS technologies to study complex communities.
This webinar was recorded on Tuesday 7th December 2021
In association with
