Duke University — CRISPR-Based Epigenome Editing Tools (Charles Gersbach)

[Scientific Innovation: Tools and Techniques] Grant Investigators: Chris Somerville and Heather Youngs This page was reviewed but not written by the grant investigators. Duke University staff also reviewed this page prior to publication. The Open Philanthropy Project recommended a grant of $2,550,171 over three years to Duke University to develop tools to apply epigenome editing to refine genome wide association studies (GWAS). The work will be led by Charles Gersbach, the Rooney Family Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering. This funding will support research to develop CRISPR-based epigenetic tools to interrogate thousands of regions of DNA, allowing for more nuanced studies of genomic regions identified through GWAS. The grant will also fund testing and verification of the tools by identifying loci implicated in schizophrenia, a poorly understood disorder. This grant falls within our interest in funding scientific research, and specifically within our interest in developing tools and techniques.