A team of researchers recently developed a software tool called DANGER (Deleterious and Anticipatable Guides Evaluated by RNA-sequencing) analysis that provides a way for the safer design of genome editing in all organisms.
DANGER analysis is a new software tool that makes genome editing safer by overcoming limitations in current CRISPR technology.
Unlike traditional methods that rely on a reference genome, DANGER works by conducting risk-averse on- and off-target assessments using RNA-sequencing data.
It evaluates phenotypic effects based on gene expression changes caused by deleterious off-target sites.
The software quantifies the phenotypic risk at the gene ontology level without the need for a reference genome.
The tool successfully evaluated the phenotypic effects of gene editing in human cells and zebrafish brains.
It can be performed on various organisms, personal human genomes, and atypical genomes created by diseases and viruses.
The open-source nature of the software allows for its adaptation to different genome editing systems beyond CRISPR-Cas9. Genome editing
It is a method that lets scientists change the DNA of many organisms, including plants, bacteria, and animals.
Editing DNA can lead to changes in physical traits, like eye colour, and disease risk.
