Desktop Genetics has just launched the DeskGen Platform for gene editing. It combines elements of the Company’s earlier tools, and allows researchers to design genome editing vectors and cloning strategies optimized to their own laboratories and experimental needs.
The DeskGen platform gives life scientists the power to expertly design optimized genome editing experiments in any cell line and species, right from their desktop. It has two modules: one for experimental design, and a second to manage DNA inventories, parts lists and feature annotations. The experimental module improves upon the best elements of many publicly-available CRISPR tools, developed by leading academic laboratories, which Desktop Genetics have expanded upon through the use of laboratory validation, overlaying the results in an information-rich genome browser and building more robust algorithms that provide users with a deeper level of analysis.
The repository module manages users’ DNA inventories, feature annotations and sequence information. The DeskGen platform intelligently finds CRISPR vectors in a user’s repository, and automatically inserts designed guides into them creating an “active genome editing vector” design. The user can then immediately generate an optimized assembly strategy that makes use of existing DNA resources available in the user’s repository, or alternatively export the design to a synthesis provider. Although the DeskGen platform is geared towards the gene editing community, the company expects the entire life science community to find value in the inventory management tools, and the way the platform automatically generates assembly strategies for any DNA construct.
Riley Doyle, CEO of Desktop Genetics, said: “Biologists have been waiting for decades for a tool that enables them to generate the cell lines they need to further their in-house research. Now that CRISPR has arrived on the scene, that wetware tool is here, and there is tremendous enthusiasm to use it correctly. However, current software tools are limited in their scope. The DeskGen Platform directly addresses this problem, meeting a major need in the field for both experienced and novice CRISPR users alike. Now scientists can design gene editing experiments in minutes, both conveniently and in confidence, and we are very excited to see the impact it will have in the ongoing gene editing revolution.”
If you want to know the whole story of Desktop Genetics, here is the video we’ve made with them during our last Tour in UK: