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Project

The study and application of CRISPR-Cas systems

One of the least understood (yet most explored) bacterial antiviral systems are CRISPR-Cas. These systems are analogous to adaptive immunity and works by remembering previous viral infections and are thus able to deal with recurrent ones. First step, that is also the most understudied one, in this process is called adaptation and is one of the main objects of this project. During adaptation, bacteria insert short viral DNA fragments called spacers into their CRISPR region. These spacers then serve as guides for bacteria to deal with recurrent invaders. Consequently, these spacers can be used to reprogram CRISPR-Cas systems to target arbitrary sequences and this is the feature that led to the revolution in genome engineering. The main objectives of this project are: 1. To understand how CRISPR-Cas systems acquire new spacers in different CRISPR-Cas systems. 2. To use CRISPR-Cas systems in development of new tools to study host-parasite interactions with particular focus on bacterial toxins. Understanding the spacer acquisition and exploiting programmability of CRISPR-Cas systems will serve to unite these objectives along the conceptual lines of evolution.

Date:1 Jul 2019 →  16 Mar 2021
Keywords:CRISPR, Adaptation, Toxins
Disciplines:Genetics, Bacteriology
Project type:PhD project