Lectures and small group discussions focusing on topics of interest, varying from semester to semester.

Over the past decade, programmable genome editing by CRISPR-Cas9 has been tremendously advancing our understanding of fundamental biology and expanding potential strategies for curing diseases. This DeCal aims to introduce students to both (1) the principles and mechanisms of various CRISPR technologies and (2) their biomedical applications. The first part includes protein-guided nucleases, CRISPR-Cas9, diverse CRISPR-Cas systems, CRISPR screen, and catalytically dead/impaired Cas nucleases as RNA-guided DNA/RNA-targeting platforms. The second part discusses delivery strategies of gene editors, therapeutic case studies of CRISPR in cancer immunology and regenerative medicine, as well as ethical and regulatory issues around gene editing. The class ends with student presentations of primary research literature using CRISPR technologies to understand/treat human diseases. By the end of the course, we hope students will understand the mechanisms of CRISPR technologies, critically evaluate their uses in different contexts, and acknowledge the challenges ahead of this field.

Repeat Rules