CRISPGET: The CRISPR Guide Evaluator Tool to support guide selection based on off-target scoring systems

The CRISPR/Cas nuclease systems are game changers within the different genome editing tools. They were discovered as a part of the bacterial immune system and since then multiple meaningful applications have been developed. In crop improvement, for example, it has been applied to cereal crops to increase the number of rice grains and add herbicide and plant disease resistance. During the design of these CRISPR/Cas systems, scientists should consider the specificity of the guide chosen for the Cas endonuclease because it may create off-targets, which are cuts done by Cas outside the desired target gene. Such off-targets can create confounders for researchers and therefore should be avoided.

This summer internship was a very significant experience in my life. I gained skills in developing web applications and increased my confidence to build software and face challenges in bioinformatics. In the beginning, I thought this would be just an academic experience. However, after 10 weeks, I realized that I acquired skills both in software development and grew a lot as a human being. This was an opportunity to know me better and to strengthen my resilience and assertive communication. Also, I met different people who made me realize that science should be done in a collaborative and interdisciplinary way. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be part of the Mueller Lab and with my mentor Adrian Powell who was there to support me and gave me the tools to successfully develop the project and learn more about bioinformatics.