Pooled CRISPRa Libraries

CRISPRa libraries that activate endogenous gene expression are constructed using engineered versions of deactivated Cas9 (dCas9), which have been found to be effective modulators of gene expression when complexed with activator proteins, such as dCas9-VPH. According to Horlbeck et al. (life 2016;5:e19760 DOI: 10.7554), a special sgRNA design increases dCas9-VPH activity. Targeting genes with CRISPRa provides an alternative genetic screening approach for identifying genes that cause a response when activated, known as a gain of function screen.