PUBLICATION Mammalian Cell Designers’ Laboratory

MISSION

Our mission is to engineer next-generation mammalian cell factories
for the production of complex biotherapeutics.
By integrating synthetic biology, genome engineering, and autonomous experimentation,
we aim to transform cell line development from empirical optimization into a predictive engineering discipline.

Journal Articles

An optimized genome-wide, virus-free CRISPR screen for mammalian cells
Author
Kai Xiong*, Karen Julie la Cour Karottki, Hooman Hefzi, Songyuan Li, Lise Marie Grav, Shangzhong Li, Philipp Spahn, Jae Seong Lee, Ildze Ventina, Gyun Min Lee, Nathan E Lewis, Helene Faustrup Kildegaard, Lasse Ebdrup Pedersen‡
Journal
Cell Reports Methods
Vol
1
Page
4
Year
2021

Pooled CRISPR screens have been widely applied to mammalian and other organisms to elucidate the interplay between genes and phenotypes of interest. The most popular method for delivering the CRISPR components into mammalian cells is lentivirus based. However, because lentivirus is not always an option, virus-free protocols are starting to emerge. Here, we demonstrate an improved virus-free, genome-wide CRISPR screening platform for Chinese hamster ovary cells with 75,488 gRNAs targeting 15,028 genes. Each gRNA expression cassette in the library is precisely integrated into a genomic landing pad, resulting in a very high percentage of single gRNA insertions and minimal clonal variation. Using this platform, we perform a negative selection screen on cell proliferation that identifies 1,980 genes that affect proliferation and a positive selection screen on the toxic endoplasmic reticulum stress inducer, tunicamycin, that identifies 77 gene knockouts that improve survivability.