New CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Engineering Products Launched

GE Healthcare Dharmacon has launched more than one million new CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing products using an advanced new algorithm to design highly functional and specific reagents targeting most human, mouse and rat genes. The new products include predesigned synthetic CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs), single guide RNA (sgRNA) lentiviral particles and pooled sgRNA lentiviral particle libraries. These advances eliminate laborious and time consuming sequence selection, specificity checks, cloning and sequencing steps, allowing researchers to save time and focus on their experiments rather than reagent design. 

The new technology uses data derived from thousands of gene editing laboratory experiments to identify characteristics of CRISPR reagents most likely to produce a functional change to the target gene. The Dharmacon development team also focused on specificity of gene editing, a critical attribute often overlooked or poorly addressed with previously available design tools. The design algorithm more accurately identifies and eliminates sequences with potential for off-target editing. The algorithm was then used to develop an exceptional range of functional and highly specific CRISPR-Cas9 gene engineering products.

The Dharmacon™ Edit-R™ Gene Engineering System was introduced in 2014 as an innovative approach to gene editing using synthetic crRNA and tracrRNA, complexed together and simply delivered together with Cas9 nuclease to precisely edit targeted genes. Now the platform has been expanded to include predesigned lentiviral sgRNAs provided as high titre lentiviral particles for direct transduction and knockout of human, mouse and rat genes in difficult-to-transfect cells. Algorithm-designed lentiviral sgRNA pooled screening libraries are also available with broad and deep coverage for over 20 popular curated gene pathway and family libraries, including druggable and whole genomes, for high-confidence, comprehensive genome screening.

Dharmacon offers extensive predesigned reagents for CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, RNA interference (RNAi) and gene expression to support a wide range of gene modulation needs for research and drug discovery and development applications.

For further information please visit http://dharmacon.gelifesciences.com/gene-editing/edit-r/.