Developing better gene editing technology

By Joyce Dall'Acqua Peterson

CRISPR/Cas9 technologies have transformed the process of creating new mouse models of human diseases, reducing the time, cost and effort to incorporate specific mutations in mice. To further develop a unique combination of technologies (called CRISPR/BAC/HR) that will enable the precise editing of longer segments of DNA, the National Institutes of Health have awarded a two-year exploratory grant totaling $466,875 to Jackson Laboratory (JAX) Research Scientist David Bergstrom, Ph.D.

Working with Charles Lee, Ph.D., professor and scientific director of JAX Genomic Medicine, and JAX Research Assistant Tiffany Leidy-Davis, Bergstrom plans to use the CRISPR/BAC/HR technology to develop mouse models for gastric cancer, Down syndrome and other applications.