Home Department: Biology
Mentor: Matthew Porteus (Pediatrics - Stem Cell Transplantation)

“A Novel CRISPR-Engineering Strategy at the IgK Locus for the Secretion of Therapeutic Proteins by B Cells"

HIV-1 remains a global health challenge, affecting approximately 40 million people. Recent advances in CRISPR engineering have generated cells that secrete anti-HIV antibodies, providing lifelong viral resistance. However, no established strategy exists for editing B cells, the body’s antibody-producing cells, to secrete specific proteins. Kaya’s summer project aims to begin developing a CRISPR-based method for B cell engineering. Using predictive software, Kaya will select guides with high frequencies of large insertions and deletions, correlated with improved integration. Kaya will then design single-stranded oligonucleotides for each guide to assess editing outcomes and identify the most effective guide for precise, non-disruptive B cell modification.