Figure: Alejandro González-Delgado, PhD, one of the first authors of the study, helped develop multitrons to make multiple edits to genes simultaneously. Photo Source: Gladstone Institutes.

A research team from Gladstone Institutes developed a gene editing method that allows simultaneous precision editing in multiple locations within a cell. The findings of their study, published in Nature Chemical Biology, could overcome a limitation of current genome editing methods.

Gene editing has been adopted and used by scientists to study and develop crop varieties aimed at resisting various pests, insecticides, and diseases. However, current approaches limit gene editing to one location only at a time. “We wanted to push the boundaries of genomic technologies by engineering tools to help us study the true complexity of biology and disease,” says Associate Investigator Seth Shipman, PhD, senior author of the study.

The researchers introduced engineered retrons called multitrons to make multiple simultaneous edits when delivered to a cell. These multitrons also have the ability to delete large sections of the genome and record very weak and strong signals in a cell at the same time. This approach is a step forward in developing treatments and cures for various genetic diseases.

For more information, read the article from Gladstone Institutes.

See https://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=20895