Why it’s Important

Scientists often use CRISPR to remove or add genes in order to understand what those genes do in living animals, including humans. Disease, for example, can result from a missing gene. That’s why precision is critical in CRISPR research. Scientists need to know they’re making the intended edit – and only that edit. The CRISPR Optimal Target Finder gives researchers an easy, accessible way to create reliable experiments by locating strong targets for snipping.

What it Does

CRISPR is a revolutionary tool that allows researchers to change the genome of living organisms by cutting and inserting small pieces of DNA at specific locations. CRISPR Optimal Target Finder was designed to help scientists who study the brain by giving them a simple, reliable web search tool that allows them to locate gene sequences of interest and determine whether those sequences are good candidates for CRISPR experiments. 

Where it’s Used

Hundreds of scientists around the world who study the brain, mostly using fruit flies, use the CRISPR Optimal Target Finder. Members of the O’Connor-Giles lab amplify their impact by hosting international courses on use of their tool through organizations like Germany’s European Molecular Biology Laboratory.