The 2023 International Conference on CRISPR Technologies will be held October 17–19, 2023 at the Revere Hotel Boston Common, Boston, MA. Organized by AIChE’s Society for Biological Engineering (SBE), the conference will focus on the latest advances in the genome editing field, bringing together key stakeholders with aligned interests across the spheres of academia and industry. Reserve your spot today.
We spoke with Luca Pinello, Associate Pathologist at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), to discuss what he’ll be sharing at the conference, trends in the CRISPR field, and how CRISPR can advance some of the grand challenges facing engineering and society today.
What specifically will you be talking about at the conference?
I will be discussing the developments in CRISPR gene editing technologies, emphasizing the role of genetic variants in modifying gene-editing outcomes. I will introduce CRISPRme, a tool developed to consider single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and indel genetic variants for nominating and prioritizing off-target sites. This tool enhances the accuracy of off-target predictions by factoring in the individual genetic diversities, a critical step in advancing the safety and efficacy of therapeutic genome editing.
How do CRISPR technologies influence/overlap with other areas of bioengineering?
CRISPR technologies profoundly interact with various domains in bioengineering. For example, in the landscape of functional genomics, they revolutionize the exploration of chromatin dynamics, non-coding and coding regions, and gene regulation mechanisms.
What are some of the technologies trending in the CRISPR field?
Techniques such as base editing and prime editing are garnering attention for their potential to facilitate more targeted modifications without double-strand breaks.
How do you envision CRISPR technologies advancing some of the grand challenges in engineering and society (medicine, health informatics, etc.)?
CRISPR technologies currently stand at the forefront of solving grand challenges in medicine by starting to enable targeted genetic and epigenetic interventions to treat diseases.
What are you looking forward to the most at this year’s conference?
At this year’s conference, I am most looking forward to engaging with a community of experts and enthusiasts who share a dedication to advancing the field of genome editing.
About SBE
Established in 2004, the Society for Biological Engineering is a technological community for engineers and applied scientists integrating biology with engineering. Members of SBE come from a broad spectrum of industries and disciplines and share in SBE’s mission of realizing the benefits of bioprocessing, biomedical, and biomolecular applications. Learn more about SBE.
Learn more about the 6th International Conference on CRISPR Technologies.