Easi-CRISPR Recipe Outlined in Nature Protocols (NE UCEDD/LEND)

February 12, 2018

Channabasavaiah Gurumurthy, M.V.S.C. (D.V.M.), Ph.D., has a great recipe for scientists to make the perfect mouse.

Yes, mouse, not mousse. As in mouse model for experiments.

Earlier this year, Dr. Gurumurthy, associate professor of developmental neuroscience at UNMC's Munroe-Meyer Institute, announced his breakthrough in genome engineering with his up to 100 percent accurate way to genetically alter a mouse. The method is called Easi (Efficient additions with ssDNA inserts)-CRISPR.

The highly efficient knock-in and gene replacement method uses long single-stranded DNA donors in mice to genetically custom engineer animal models. Scientists can now create these much-needed animal models at previously unheard of rates rapidly and at significantly lower cost.

Now, Dr. Gurumurthy has released the detailed step-by-step protocol of Easi-CRISPR -- a cookbook recipe, if you will -- for the good of mankind. The recipe is featured in this month's edition of the prestigious Nature Protocols.

The paper was published with Rolen Quadros, a medical technologist in the Mouse Genome Engineering Core Facility at UNMC, and two researchers from Tokai University in Kanagawa, Japan -- Drs. Hiromi Miura and Masato Ohtsuka.

Their first paper has already been accessed more than 15,000 times, cited 18 times and was one of the "Best of 2017" genome-biology articles. Dr. Gurumurthy said he has received hundreds of inquiries about the method and has shared the recipe with more than a dozen labs that have successfully replicated his results.

"As a scientist, it is satisfying to see the research community's response, and more importantly it is gratifying to hear that many others could reproduce the results," he said.

Drs. Gurumurthy and Ohtsuka's teams are working on yet another CRISPR technology called GONAD (Genome editing via Oviductal Nucleic Acids Delivery), a pre-print of this paper is posted on bioRxiv.

Easi-CRISPR and GONAD techniques are in high demand as evidenced by the overwhelming response to their workshop recently offered at the International Society for Transgenic Technologies in Salt Lake City. Easi-CRISPR technology has netted Dr. Gurumurthy many speaking engagements, including keynotes, all over the world.

Karoly Mirnics, M.D., Ph.D., MMI director, said he is delighted that Dr. Gurumurthy is becoming a world leader.

"The best for his laboratory is yet to come, and we expect great things from him in the future. I have no doubt that he will continue to shape this very important, and potentially life changing technology."