{"id":3220,"date":"2023-07-07T12:56:35","date_gmt":"2023-07-07T12:56:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/bio\/?page_id=3220"},"modified":"2023-09-07T12:55:33","modified_gmt":"2023-09-07T12:55:33","slug":"crispr-mini-course","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/bio\/2023-issue\/crispr-mini-course\/","title":{"rendered":"Crispr Mini Course"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Student Stories<\/h1>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ background_enable_color=”off” use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_direction=”90deg” background_color_gradient_stops=”rgba(255,255,255,0.62) 0%|rgba(55,50,107,0.5) 100%” background_enable_image=”off” parallax=”on” parallax_method=”off” background_blend=”overlay” custom_padding=”0.3%|0px|0.3%|0px|true|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_4,1_4″ make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_enable_image=”off” custom_margin=”20px||20px||true|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ text_text_color=”#000000″ header_font=”|800|||||||” header_text_align=”center” header_text_color=”#231f20″ header_font_size=”55px” header_line_height=”1.2em” custom_padding=”10px|10px|10px|10px|false|false” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”left” border_width_bottom=”1px” border_color_bottom=”#000000″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

CRISPR Mini Course Rearranges Students\u2019 Ideas about Genetics<\/h1>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_image=”https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/bio\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/07\/DNA.png” scroll_blur_enable=”on” border_radii=”on|10px|10px|10px|10px” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”#000000″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”15px||15px||true|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_enable_color=”off” use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_direction=”270deg” background_color_gradient_stops=”rgba(224,224,224,0.64) 0%|#37326b 100%” background_enable_image=”off” parallax=”on” parallax_method=”off” background_blend=”overlay” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/bio\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/07\/CRISPR_BW.png” alt=”Stephanie Wong-Noonan with students during a class session” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” transform_translate=”-20px|20px” transform_translate_linked=”off” animation_style=”zoom” border_radii=”on|10px|10px|10px|10px” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”#000000″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|600|on||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”13px” custom_margin=”|5px|5px||false|false” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Stephanie Wong-Noonan (right) discusses a paper with students during a class session.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”10px||10px||true|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_enable_color=”off” background_enable_image=”off” custom_padding=”10px|10px|10px|10px|false|true” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_divider color=”#000000″ divider_style=”dashed” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_testimonial author=”Stephanie Wong-Noonan” quote_icon_color=”#37326b” quote_icon_background_color=”#FFFFFF” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” body_font=”||on||||||” body_text_align=”center” body_text_color=”#37326b” body_font_size=”16px” author_font=”||||||||” author_text_color=”#000000″ position_font=”||on||||||” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_padding=”30px|10px|10px|10px|false|true” sticky_limit_top=”body” sticky_limit_bottom=”column” scroll_vertical_motion=”0|50|50|100|-0.5|0|9.5″ scroll_scaling_enable=”on” scroll_scaling=”0|50|50|100|100%|110%|130%” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a lot of fun to teach a course that\u2019s constantly evolving.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_testimonial][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_enable_color=”off” background_enable_image=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Dante Mancini, a senior at Carnegie Mellon University<\/a><\/span> majoring in chemical engineering<\/a><\/span> with an additional in biomedical engineering<\/a><\/span>, self-designed an immunology track in biomedical activity.<\/p>\n

Because he was forging a new path, he was able to take classes outside of the traditional biomedical engineering track, and he wanted to learn more about genetics and new technologies.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was working with my academic advisor, and there were two courses that would fit the requirement,\u201d Mancini said. \u201cOne was genome editing biotechnology. I really like the genome editing perspective of it because it\u2019s something I\u2019ve never had much experience with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Genome editing biotechnology 03-728 was developed in 2016 by Aaron Mitchell, former head of the Department of Biological Sciences<\/span><\/a>, as a half-semester course known as a mini course. The class investigates new research into CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technique, which was developed in 2012 and won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020. In 2018, the course was folded into advanced genetics 03-730.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been interesting reading papers from the perspective of an outsider,\u201d Mancini said. \u201cWhat could have been their thought process when designing the experiment? What kind of variables are they trying to play with? What is their desired outcome?\u201d<\/p>\n

Stephanie Wong-Noonan<\/a><\/span>, assistant teaching professor of biological sciences, revived the course as a mini this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had taught CRISPR in modern biology [03-121] at a very basic level, so it was a good opportunity to read some papers about it and feel connected to the research field,\u201d Wong-Noonan said. \u201cIt\u2019s just a really interesting subject.\u201d<\/p>\n

CRISPR-Cas9 works by creating RNA that binds to specific targets in a cell\u2019s DNA. From there, researchers can either add or delete the DNA sequences of certain genes. Though CRISPR works best in mammals, researchers \u2014 such as Carnegie Mellon\u2019s own Veronica Hinman<\/a><\/span> \u2014 are applying it to other organisms such as starfish and sea urchins.<\/p>\n

The course primarily focuses on reading literature on a range of topics from novel ways to use CRISPR-Cas9 to the ethics of using CRISPR on animals and humans. Wong-Noonan gathered some of the newest research including papers published in the last few years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do some lectures with discussions, where I\u2019d pose questions for the students to discuss and then report out what they\u2019re talking about,\u201d Wong-Noonan said. \u201cThe most fun is actually hearing the students get involved and ask a ton of questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

The class draws undergraduate students like Mancini, master\u2019s students and Ph.D. candidates.<\/p>\n

Sarah Sonbati, a Ph.D. student in chemical engineering, took the course as a jumping off point to develop her doctoral research proposal. She intends to use CRISPR-Cas9 to genetically alter yeast cells into producing proteins in order to gauge how certain drugs and compounds can affect cells. She learned a few things about CRISPR thanks to YouTube, but this class offered her a way to ask questions and obtain a better understanding of CRISPR methods.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just really enjoying the class discussions, listening to what other people have to say and then being able to reply back,\u201d Sonbati said. \u201cYou hear what other people have to say and learn about where they\u2019re coming from, with their knowledge. It\u2019s helping me reshape my thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n

The mini course will be offered again in Fall 2023. Wong-Noonan plans to enhance the course by adding more cutting-edge research papers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a lot of fun to teach a course that\u2019s constantly evolving,\u201d Wong-Noonan said. \u201cWe\u2019re in the midst of CRISPR discovery, so new things are being found every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u25a0 Kirsten Heuring<\/em><\/p>\n

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Student StoriesCRISPR Mini Course Rearranges Students\u2019 Ideas about GeneticsStephanie Wong-Noonan (right) discusses a paper with students during a class session.It\u2019s a lot of fun to teach a course that\u2019s constantly evolving.Dante Mancini, a senior at Carnegie Mellon University majoring in chemical engineering with an additional in biomedical engineering, self-designed an immunology track in biomedical activity. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":1732,"menu_order":7,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3220","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/bio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/bio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/bio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/bio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/bio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3220"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/bio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3220\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3907,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/bio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3220\/revisions\/3907"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/bio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1732"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/bio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}