Beyond Genome Editing: CRISPR Approaches

CRISPR has become a powerful tool for precise editing of user-defined genomic loci in living organisms. Within mere eight years, CRISPR/Cas has become an indispensable tool in fundamental and applied research of biological sciences. Today CRISPR is no longer just a method to edit a specific locus, but applications of dCas9-based platforms are exceeding the genome editing functions of WT Cas9. Applications of CRISPR technology are extending beyond genome editing such as expression modulation, rewriting epigenetic signatures, and imaging spatiotemporal organization of the genome. In this chapter we discuss, dCas9 and engineered gRNA-based CRISPRi and CRISPRa approach for transcriptional regulation of a gene. In addition, we also describe visualization of spatiotemporal organization of genomic loci through dCas9-based tools. Moreover, we also explain how CRISPR barcodes are exploited to study cell lineage. Furthermore, we also highlight CRISPR-mediated tools such as epigenome regulation, base editing, prime editing, and directed evolution. Finally, we discussed prospects beyond genome editing application of CRISPR/Cas.