Abstract

CRISPR /Cas9, a recently discovered DNA editing system, is revolutionising biological research across medicine, agriculture and fundamental cell biology. It is employed to disable a selected gene to test whether this affects a particular cell function, such as development or cancerous growth. Large-scale experimental designs allow gene inactivation to be carried out in pools of human or other eukaryotic cell lines, such that each and every gene is tested simultaneously, in a comprehensive, unbiased fashion. The first speaker will: • Give an introduction to CRISPR /Cas9 and how it works • Explain how CRISPR /Cas9 can be used at scale to screen for genes relevant to a biological function The second speaker will: • Describe research examining and predicting the precise DNA mutations induced by CRISPR /Cas9 • Outline how this can be used to produce better gene knock-outs and effective genetic screens