CRISPR in Parasitology: Not Exactly Cut and Dried!

Jessica Bryant (1) , Sebastian Baumgarten (1) , Lucy Glover (2) , Sebastian Hutchinson (3) , Najma Rachidi (4)

1 Biologie des Interactions Hôte-Parasite - Biology of Host-Parasite Interactions
2 Biologie moléculaire des Trypanosomes - Trypanosome Molecular Biology
3 Biologie cellulaire des Trypanosomes - Trypanosome Cell Biology
4 Parasitologie moléculaire et Signalisation / Molecular Parasitology and Signaling

CRISPR/Cas9 technology has been developing rapidly in the field of parasitology, allowing for the dissection of molecular processes with unprecedented efficiency. Optimization and implementation of a new technology like CRISPR, especially in nonmodel organisms, requires communication and collaboration throughout the field. Recently, a 'CRISPR in Parasitology' symposium was held at the Institut Pasteur Paris, bringing together scientists studying Leishmania, Plasmodium, Trypanosoma, and Anopheles. Here we share technological advances and challenges in using CRISPR/Cas9 in the parasite and vector systems that were discussed. As CRISPR/Cas9 continues to be applied to diverse parasite systems, the community should now focus on improvement and standardization of the technique as well as expanding the CRISPR toolkit to include Cas9 alternatives/derivatives for more advanced applications like genome-wide functional screens.

Keywords: Anopheles; CRISPR; CRISPRi; Leishmania; Plasmodium; Trypanosoma

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]; Biotechnology; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Microbiology and Parasitology; Parasitology

Jessica Bryant, Sebastian Baumgarten, Lucy Glover, Sebastian Hutchinson, Najma Rachidi. CRISPR in Parasitology: Not Exactly Cut and Dried!. Trends in Parasitology, 2019, 35 (6), pp.409-422. ⟨10.1016/j.pt.2019.03.004⟩. ⟨pasteur-02874588⟩