A new tool is helping researchers bring greater clarity to CRISPR gene editing results. The CelFi assay, a CRISPR-based method was developed by researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, led by Dr. Neville Sanjana in collaboration with the New York Genome Center.
It is designed to more accurately validate gene knockouts by monitoring how edited gene variants behave over time through detailed indel profiling.
Traditional methods used to confirm whether a gene has been successfully knocked out often fail to distinguish between effective edits and partial or non-functional ones.
The CelFi assay solves this by tracking how cells with specific indels change in abundance.
If certain edits cause cells to gradually disappear, it suggests that the targeted gene is likely essential, providing a more accurate picture of gene function. This approach is especially valuable in functional genomics and drug discovery, where identifying true gene dependencies is crucial.
By filtering out misleading data, the CelFi assay helps researchers focus on genes that are truly critical for disease progression or treatment response.
It’s a promising step for advancing precision medicine and enhancing the reliability of CRISPR-based experiments in both research and clinical development.
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