VITN Blog Post #3: “CRISPR screen identifies gene that helps cells resist West Nile, Zika viruses”

As we approach the end of SoCo, it is such a heartwarming feeling to read the news and actually be able to make connections to things I have learned from class or speaker presentations. After briefly discussing CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology and making my virus model that represented the Flaviviridae family, I found an article about a team at UT Southwestern that used CRISPR to identify the IF16 gene that can potentially inhibit flaviviruses. While other groups have already located genes that are present during an infection, this is the first time that an inhibitor has been found using CRISPR. These genes have been researched in cell cultures using liver cells and confirmed using kidney and epithelial cells. Other inhibitor proteins have been identified by the same lab, but the ability to use CRISPR increases precision and opens doors for more research into how we could possibly treat or prevent transmission of diseases like Zika and yellow fever. All very exciting research, especially as we see West Nile fever spread through the United States and yellow fever rampage through Brazil.

Check out the full article here:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180917191848.htm

- Jen Vu