Genome Engineering

Abstract

This course is both an introduction to genome engineering and also a highly interactive practical training on effectively reading, writing, and presenting in an academic context.

Objective

The objective of this course is to learn how gene editing technologies function at the molecular and cellular level and how they are applied in research and clinical settings. Students will be introduced to the history and motivation behind the discovery and development of transformative genome engineering technologies, and also gain insight into the ethical, safety, and regulatory facets shaping the field. This content will be explored by critically examining and discussing current literature in the field and devising a technology development plan.

Content

The course content is comprised of lectures, discussions, and a project. Lectures in Genome Engineering will be technology-focused and incorporate: 1) historical context to motivate the need for developing the technology, 2) development of the technology from concept to robust tool, 3) methods to discover, characterize, and evaluate the technology, and 4) applications of the technology in basic and applied research. Primary research articles will be assigned each week, which will be followed by an in-class lecture and discussion. The course project will be team-based and entail devising a solution to a critical need in the field. Main topics: --Discovery and development of genome editing technologies --The prokaryotic adaptive immune system CRISPR-Cas --Genome engineering methods for generating genetically engineered model systems --Genotype-phenotype linkage via genetic screens --Massively paralleled perturbation and phenotyping --Gene editing tools as molecular recording devices --Gene editing tools as diagnostics and therapeutics

Resources