Scientists use CRISPR to find Zika, dengue weaknesses
Scientists on the College of Massachusetts Medical Faculty (UMMS) have carried out the primary CRISPR/Cas9 display screen to find human proteins that Zika virus wants for replication. This work, led by Abraham Brass, MD, PhD, assistant professor in microbiology & physiological techniques, reveals new leads that could be helpful for halting Zika, dengue and different rising viral infections. The research seems on-line within the journal Cell Studies . "These genetic screens give us our first have a look at what these viruses must survive," mentioned Dr. Brass. "Our lab and others in our discipline have labored onerous to develop the techniques and infrastructure wanted to analyze the genetics underlying how viral pathogens use our personal cell's equipment to duplicate. This has allowed the scientific neighborhood to reply rapidly when the Zika virus menace emerged. In our lab, we tailored the expertise and instruments we would establish...