ABOUT US
Our Mission
The Gene Editing Institute advances the power of CRISPR gene editing technology to improve human life through groundbreaking research and development and by inspiring and helping to prepare the next generation of gene scientists.
Our History
Launched at ChristianaCare in 2015 under the leadership of gene editing pioneer Eric Kmiec, Ph.D., the Gene Editing Institute is a world leader in CRISPR gene editing technology. It is the only institute of its kind embedded in a community health system and brings a unique patient focus to the cutting-edge science of CRISPR gene editing. As a wholly owned subsidiary of ChristianaCare, the Institute is positioned to fast-track new research discoveries to market.
Major Achievements
Developing what will be the first ever lung cancer patient trial using CRISPR gene editing in a solid tumor.
Developed the ExACT™ pathway of single-stranded DNA repair, which increased the on-target efficacy of CRISPR and paved the way for new CRISPR breakthroughs in precise DNA edits.
Created the first CRISPR gene editing tool to allow DNA repairs outside the human cell – on a chip – which will rapidly speed therapies to patients.
Introduced Gene Editing 360™, a suite of highly flexible educational tools designed to train high school and college students in the fundamentals of CRISPR gene editing technology.
Created CRISPR in a Box™, the teaching toolkit component of Gene Editing 360TM that provides students with a unique, hands-on learning experience in CRISPR gene editing.
Developed DECODR™, a powerful software tool that provides a convenient and user-friendly method to quantify the edits present in CRISPR-edited Sanger sequencing data.
Developing what will be the first ever lung cancer patient trial using CRISPR gene editing in a solid tumor.
Developed the ExACT™ pathway of single-stranded DNA repair, which increased the on-target efficacy of CRISPR and paved the way for new CRISPR breakthroughs in precise DNA edits.
Created the first CRISPR gene editing tool to allow DNA repairs outside the human cell – on a chip – which will rapidly speed therapies to patients.
Introduced Gene Editing 360™, a suite of highly flexible educational tools designed to train high school and college students in the fundamentals of CRISPR gene editing technology.
Created CRISPR in a Box™, the teaching toolkit component of Gene Editing 360TM that provides students with a unique, hands-on learning experience in CRISPR gene editing.
Developed DECODR™, a powerful software tool that provides a convenient and user-friendly method to quantify the edits present in CRISPR-edited Sanger sequencing data.
Our Diversity Commitment
We seek to diversify the gene editing workforce and increase medical literacy and trust in the medical system. Having a diverse scientific community builds trust between researchers and patients who stand to benefit from their work. It also helps ensure that scientific advances are equitably available to and used by everyone.
The Gene Editing Institute builds diversity in the gene editing workforce by providing opportunities for all students to develop the skills they need to explore careers in this field. For example, with support from the National Science Foundation, the Institute has partnered with high schools to introduce CRISPR education into their curricula and launched a CRISPR training program at Delaware Technical Community College. This “teach the teachers” approach has reached dozens of college instructors from North Carolina to Washington state at community colleges, universities and high schools.
Our Structure
