SC16: Functional Screening Strategies Using CRISPR and RNAi
Wednesday, September 21 | 7:00-9:30 pm


This course will offer details on how the CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats)/Cas technology works, how to set up CRISPR-based screens and how to complement it with existing RNAi-based screens using proper analysis and follow-up studies. The instructors will share their experiences on how to go about evaluating reagents/libraries, designing and setting up assays, and interpreting results when dealing with complex biology and informatics. The applications of such functional genomics screens for drug discovery and disease modeling will be discussed, along with design and workflows when working with different model systems. Ideas and best practices will be shared in an informal, interactive setting and attendees will walk away with practical advice and resources.

7:00 Welcome and Speaker Introductions

7:15 Jennifer Smith, Ph.D., Deputy Director, ICCB-Longwood Screening Facility, Harvard Medical School

  • Introduction to CRISPR and RNAi screening
  • Overview of libraries, assays and equipment for screening

7:45 Scott Martin, Ph.D., Group Lead, Functional Genomics, Genentech Inc.

  • Considerations for arrayed siRNA and CRISPR screening
  • Experimental assay design and set-up
  • Finding the right reagents, controls, standards and protocols

8:15 Coffee and Dessert Break

8:30 John Doench, Ph.D., Associate Director, Genetic Perturbation Platform, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT

  • Considerations for assay development - screening strategies unique to CRISPR technology
  • Expected performance of CRISPR screens and comparison to RNAi - on-target activity and specificity
  • Proper analysis and follow-up

9:00 Eugen Buehler, Ph.D., Group Leader, Informatics, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health

  • Overview of off-target effects
  • Strategies for eliminating/reducing off target effects

BIOS

Jennifer_SmithJennifer Smith, Ph.D., Deputy Director, ICCB-Longwood Screening Facility, Harvard Medical School

Jennifer Smith is Deputy Director of the ICCB-Longwood Screening Facility at Harvard Medical School. Jen is a broadly trained molecular biologist with expertise in virology, assay development, high throughput screening and data analysis strategies. Jen obtained a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in the Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology Program where she studied oncolytic reovirus. After a brief postdoctoral fellowship examining the translational block during oxidative stress, Jen moved to Harvard Medical School to study oncogenic papillomaviruses. In 2011, Jen joined the ICCB-Longwood Screening Facility, initially as Assistant Director and now in her current role as Deputy Director. ICCB-Longwood is one of the oldest academic high throughput screening centers and supports both small molecule and RNAi screens.

Scott_MartinScott Martin, Ph.D., Group Lead, Functional Genomics, Genentech Inc.

Scott Martin currently leads a functional genomics group at Genentech. His group conducts CRISPR, RNAi, and small molecule screens to interrogate a variety of basic biology and therapeutically relevant questions. Prior to joining Genentech in 2015, Dr. Martin created and directed an RNAi screening facility for the National Institutes of Health. There, his group collaborated with numerous NIH institutes to understand gene function in diverse areas. Among other findings, his group identified regulators of mitophagy, neuronal cell death, innate immunity, aberrant splicing, protein production, cancer cell proliferation, and drug enhancement or resistance. Beyond mapping gene function, Dr. Martin has invested a good deal of effort towards understanding and improving best screening practices.

John_DoenchJohn Doench, Ph.D., Associate Director, Genetic Perturbation Platform, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT

Since joining the Broad Institute in 2009, I have engaged in dozens of collaborations centered on functional genomics. As Associate Director of the Genetic Perturbation Platform, my role is to provide expert guidance on the design, execution, and analysis of genetic screens, and have done so with a wide variety of research groups across many areas of biology. Additionally, I have many years of experience in the development and use of functional genomic techniques, first with RNAi and more recently with CRISPR technology for genome-wide loss-of-function screening. As leader of research and development in the Platform, I have stayed on the cutting-edge of newest techniques while also focusing on the reduction-to-practice that is critical for enabling collaboration with a broader community of researchers. Prior to joining the Broad, I received my Ph.D. in biology, training with Phil Sharp, and performed postdoctoral work with Ed Harlow at Harvard Medical School.

Eugen_BuehlerEugen Buehler, Ph.D., Group Leader, Informatics, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health

Eugen Buehler began his work on RNAi design and the interpretation of RNAi screening results while working in the Applied Computer Science and Mathematics Department at Merck, and has continued this research since being recruited to NCATS/NIH in 2012. He has developed methods for the detection and visualization of RNAi off-target effects, the inference of off-targeted transcripts from large-scale screens, and bench-level controls for siRNA experiments. To test and refine these techniques, he collaborates with researchers within the NIH, academia, and industry.