Clustered regularly-interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) systems, particularly Cas9, have become indispensable in the fields of biology as tools for the targeted modification of DNA. However, the new CRISPR enzyme Cpf1 provides a more robust platform, with the novel ability to process pre-CRISPR RNAs and generate staggered cuts in double-stranded DNA. Cpf1 has been used to introduce mutations to various ends, but it has only just begun to be used for gene regulation. To develop Cpf1 into a tool for such studies, the DNA and RNA catalytic domains in three Cpf1 species (As, Fn, Lb) were inactivated. The DNase-dead mutants were then fused to transcriptional effectors (VPR/KRAB), and the Lb-VPR construct was introduced into HEK293T cells to investigate its effect on CXCR4 expression.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Morrison, Kyle Stuart

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-042617-092359

Award

• Provost's MQP Award

Advisor

• Heilman, Destin

Year

• 2017

Sponsor

• University of Massachusetts Medical School

Date created

• 2017-04-26

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Biochemistry

Rights statement

• In Copyright

Last modified

• 2023-01-20