CRISPR Screening Core Facility
We provide access to a state-of-the-art functional genomic screening platform using CRISPR-Cas9.
CRISPR screening is able to generate powerful and robust data to identify novel genes and pathways and provide insights into the mechanisms of action of drugs, toxins or pathogens.
The CRISPR screening core facility trains researchers in screening approaches, guides them through screen design, and provides detailed protocols for all aspects of the screening process.
Our goal is to enable researchers to perform high-quality CRISPR-Cas9 screening without the need to establish the technique themselves. As such, the core facility provides detailed training for the following screening steps:
- Optimising lentiviral transduction conditions
- determining antibiotic selection conditions
- evaluating screen treatments
- generating/validating Cas9-expressing cell lines (optional, dependent on choice of screening library)
- optimising screen readout
- bulk screen execution
- processing of samples for next-generation sequencing.
The CRISPR screening core facility prepares and quality controls key screening reagents, which are maintained as validated, high-titre lentiviral stocks that are ready for use. In particular, the core facility holds and maintains gold-standard pooled libraries for CRISPRko, CRISPRi or CRISPRa screening and Cas9 expression systems. Researchers can choose between a variety of genome-wide or subset libraries. Alternatively, bespoke or custom guide libraries can also be assembled in the facility upon request.
Finally, the CRISPR screening core facility works closely with the FACS & Imaging and Bioinformatics core facilities, which allows firstly, screening with more complex phenotypes beyond cell viability (for example by combining pooled CRISPR screening with high throughput cell sorting to detect changes in reporters or biomarkers) and secondly, supports screen data analysis.