(1103-B) Utilising a fully integrated automation platform to enable high-throughput arrayed CRISPR editing for novel target identification

Abstract: The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system is a revolutionary tool for genome editing and has highly impacted our understanding of the cause and progression of disease. Within drug discovery, arrayed CRISPR-Cas9 technology can be deployed at scale for precise genome editing, to identify individual novel, high value targets for downstream therapeutic intervention.
However, existing strategies of manual or semi-automated CRISPR-Cas9 editing workflows for target identification and validation are personnel, time, and resource intensive. This represents a bottleneck in generating scalable, high-throughput, robust and reproducible data. Therefore, there is a demonstrated need to translate pre-existing methodologies to fully integrated and automated systems to tackle larger, more complex screening opportunities.
This poster provides an overview of the design, capabilities, and multifaceted benefits of our Cellular Automated Screening Platform (CASPer). This custom, end-to-end automation platform is being validated as a capability tool for large scale (>1,000 target genes) electroporation CRISPR screens. We further highlight successful RNP creation and subsequent electroporation-based editing of primary human T cells in a 384 well format utilising CASPer. This approach demonstrates a scalable and fully automated high-throughput industrialisation of a large scale CRISPR edit, in a complex therapeutically relevant cell model.