OMEGA: Genome Editing at Scale
OMEGA
The Omega project aims to use CRISPR/Cas and the moss Physcomitrium patens to develop a synthetic biology platform to modify plant genomes at the megabase (Mb) scale. The main objectives of this project are to (1) perform a genome-wide CRISPR screen to determine gene essentiality in lab conditions, (2) find an approach to perform precise and efficient Mb deletions of non-coding DNA, and (3) use site-specific recombination for genomic restructuring.
Genome Wide Knock-out Screen
A major challenge in plant functional genomics is that loss-of-function mutations in single genes frequently do not produce a phenotype. This is largely due to genetic redundancy, where multiple genes with related sequences or functions can compensate for each other.
To address this, we have grouped the P. patens genome (~36,000 genes) into gene clusters, each comprising approximately 8–10 genes based on sequence similarity and/or shared biological functions, using comparative genomics databases and functional annotations. This clustering strategy allows the simultaneous targeting of all genes within individual clusters, enabling the systematic identification of lethal genes and genetic interactions within defined gene groups.
Omega - Team
