Gene Editing Service

BOC Sciences offers gene editing services for strain improvement. Our gene editing services manipulate the genome of engineering strains to develop ideal cost-effective target products, including bioactive metabolites, drug APIs, potential therapeutic recombinant proteins, etc. With our profound experience and advanced technology in gene editing, we can improve the metabolite production of industrial importance. Gene editing methods, in particular CRISPR-Cas9, adapted from a genome editing system that presented naturally in bacteria, allow addition, removal, and alteration of genetic material at specific sites.

Introduction

Gene editing, also named genome engineering, refers to the insertion, deletion, modification, or replacement of DNA at a specific site in the genome of living organisms. In microbial systems, such as yeast and bacteria, gene editing technology can serve as an effective tool for strain development, lead to higher target product yields, and accelerate the development of bioactive metabolites for commercial applications. Gene editing techniques involve the use of site-directed nucleases that are programmed to target any virtually desired DNA sequence, induce DNA double-strand breaks, stimulate DNA repair mechanisms in the cell, and also can be used in gene knockout or gene insertion with donor DNA. The use of site-directed gene editing method with engineer microbes genome significantly advanced a more precise control for gene expression.

Application of Gene Editing

To date, various gene editing techniques have been developed and improved, such as TALENs and CRISPR-Cas9 systems. These methods allow manipulation of specific genes in the host genome for various applications, including disease diagnosis, genetic disease therapy, and genomic and metabolic studies for biopharmaceutical development. Remarkably, gene editing tools aid the efficient synthesis of biological medicinal products in microbial systems. These pharmaceuticals can be used to prevent or treat diseases, including antibiotics, enzymes, recombinant proteins, antibodies, recombinantly produced vaccines, antibiotics, cytokines, growth factors, etc.

Our advantages

Comprehensive gene editing tools with a variety of engineered nucleases.

Advanced strain culture technology.

Optimized medium selection, biomass control and product induction.

Effective capability in improving various types of strains covering bacterial systems and eukaryotic systems, such as bacteria, actinomycetes, mold, yeast, etc.

Over 20 years of experience in traditional strain breeding.

Improved strains revealed characteristics such as rapid growth, genetic stability, and reduction of cultivation cost, etc.

Cost-effective and high-quality products.

Our methods

Epigenetic editing: modify DNA sequences and present to proteins and DNA binding factors that modulate DNA function.

Engineered nucleases: the key to gene editing is to create a DNA double-stranded break (DSB) at a specific genome site.

Transcription-activator like effector nucleases (TALEN)
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR-Cas9) system
Meganucleases

CRISPR-Cas9 systems for gene editing

Cas9: enzyme; variants exist with different functions, such as single-strand nicking, double-strand breaking, DNA binding.
crRNA: contains guide RNA that locates the correct segment of host DNA along with a region that binds to tracrRNA, forming an active complex.
tracrRNA: binds to crRNA and forms an active complex.
Repair template: DNA molecules that are used as templates during DNA repair in host cells, allowing the insertion of specific DNA sequences into host fragments that are damaged by Cas9.

Project workflow