Computer-Assisted Transgenesis

This is a new platform to automate experiments in genetic engineering and bring large-scale moonshot projects within reach. Too often, lab experiments are limited in scale by human fatigue and the costs associated with manual labor. In particular, the process of delivering genetic materials via manual microinjection remains a long-standing bottleneck. We are developing a computer-assisted microinjection platform to streamline the production of transgenic organisms. Briefly, organisms are immobilized in a gel and microinjections are performed using precision robotics using computer vision algorithms. This platform demonstrated high-throughput gene editing in an animal model (C. elegans) for the first time. We will be using this technology to refine and create safeguards for our gene drive technology.