Precision genome engineering

Precision genome engineering in lactic acid bacteria

Innovative new genome engineering technologies for manipulating chromosomes have appeared in the last decade. One of these technologies, recombination mediated genetic engineering (recombineering) allows for precision DNA engineering of chromosomes and plasmids in Escherichia coli. Single-stranded DNA recombineering (SSDR) allows for the generation of subtle mutations without the need for selec...

CRISPR Genome Engineering for Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Research

The emergence of targeted and efficient genome editing technologies, such as repurposed bacterial programmable nucleases (e.g., CRISPR-Cas systems), has abetted the development of cell engineering approaches. Lessons learned from the development of RNA-interference (RNA-i) therapies can spur the translation of genome editing, such as those enabling the translation of human pluripotent stem cell...

Improved Cell-Penetrating Zinc-Finger Nuclease Proteins for Precision Genome Engineering

Safe, efficient, and broadly applicable methods for delivering site-specific nucleases into cells are needed in order for targeted genome editing to reach its full potential for basic research and medicine. We previously reported that zinc-finger nuclease (ZFN) proteins have the innate capacity to cross cell membranes and induce genome modification via their direct application to human cells. H...

Precision Genome Engineering and Agriculture: Opportunities and Regulatory Challenges

Plant agriculture is poised at a technological inflection point. Recent advances in genome engineering make it possible to precisely alter DNA sequences in living cells, providing unprecedented control over a plant's genetic material. Potential future crops derived through genome engineering include those that better withstand pests, that have enhanced nutritional value, and that are able to gr...

(ZFN), Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nuclease (TALEN), and Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR)/Cas demonstrate a precision genome engineering in higher organisms

Opportunities and Regulatory Challenges for Genome Engineering in Agriculture

world population demands that more food be produced on less, and often increasingly marginal, land. Climate change and diminishing resources, such as water and fertilizer, will make it difficult to achieve the needed increase in productivity. Whereas multiple strategies must be deployed to achieve food security, it is clear that amongst these is the need to accelerate the rate of crop improveme...