The Centre for Aquaculture Technologies (CAT), a leading provider of genetics solutions in aquaculture, in collaboration with C4U Corporation, has developed CRISPR-Cas3 gene editing technology for aquaculture while ensuring that it maintains greater safety and unhindered legal access compared to its cousin CRISPR-Cas9.
Professor Tomoji Mashimo, currently at the University of Tokyo and the co-founder of C4U, developed the CRISPR-Cas3 technology. The platform is similar to CRISPR-Cas9's engineering, efficiency, and delivery methods. Professor Mashimo's team has already validated CRISPR-Cas3 both in vitro (in cells) and in vivo (in animals), and they found that the platform provides unique advantages, such as increased safety through reduced unintended mutations and the capability for broad gene alterations near the desired genetic target site. CAT and C4U state that CRISPR-Cas3 technology is an attractive genome editing method, as it is unencumbered by the intricate patents associated with CRISPR-Cas9, therefore offering a more practical substitute.
The joint effort aims to apply CRISPR-Cas3 technology to promote genome editing in major commercial fish species and drive technological advancements within the industry.
(Source: Crop Biotech Update, International Service for Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications. www.isaaa.org)
