Genome Editing and Engineering

ABOUT THE COURSE:This course is designed for UG & PG students, research scholars and young scientists to introduce them to basics and applications of genome editing and engineering. The course starts with understanding of basic organization and structure of genome. It gives a brief overview on different DNA strand breaks and their repair mechanism. It introduces learners to theoretical basics of genetic engineering and discusses it’s limitations in tackling genetic problems of animals and plants. The key concepts of Genome editing are discussed thoroughly with emphasis on the major genome editing tools ZFN, TALEN and CRISP/Cas9. It discusses the biochemical basis of development of the genome editing tools, their design and their applications in various genetic conditions. It also discusses the scope and prospect of using these technologies in solving major genetic disease of human. The learners will also be acquainted with the ethical concerns associated with applications of genome editing and engineering in germline.INTENDED AUDIENCE: UG/PG/PhD/Scientist in industryPREREQUISITES:10+2 with Biology and Chemistry

Week 1:Introduction to genetics and genetic engineering Week 2:Breakage and Repair Of Genomic DNA Week 3:Recombination Week 4:Targeted genetic modification Week 5:Zinc Finger Nuclease (ZFN) Technology Week 6:Transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN) Technology Week 7:Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 technology Week 8:Applications of genome editing in treating human diseases Week 9:Genome engineered Disease modeling Week 10:Engineered immune cells for cancer therapy Week 11:Personalized therapy; Challenges: safety and specificity Week 12:Ethical concerns: Germ line gene editing