A team of researchers has developed a software tool called DANGER (Deleterious and ANticipatable Guides Evaluated by RNA-sequencing) analysis that provides a way for the safer design of genome editing in all organisms with a transcriptome.
Key points
- Currently, researchers use the CRISPR technology for genome editing. However, there are some challenges in the use of CRISPR.
- The DANGER analysis overcomes these challenges and allows researchers to perform safer on- and off-target assessments without a reference genome.
- It holds the potential for applications in medicine, agriculture, and biological research.
- Genome editing, or gene editing, refers to technologies that allow researchers to change the genomic DNA of an organism. With these technologies, researchers can add, remove or alter genetic material in the genome.
- Gene editing using CRISPR technology presents some challenges. The first challenge is that the phenotypic, or observable, effects caused by unexpected CRISPR dynamics are not quantitatively monitored. A second challenge is that the CRISPR technology generally depends on basic genomic data, including the reference genome.
- DANGER analysis software overcomes these challenges.
- DANGER analysis is open-source and freely adjustable. So the algorithm of this pipeline could be repurposed for the analysis of various genome editing systems beyond the CRISPR-Cas9 system.
