Functional Genomics Shared Resource

FUNCTIONAL GENOMICS SHARED RESOURCE – PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The Functional Genomics Shared Resource provides members of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cancer Center with access to advanced RNAi and CRISPR screening technologies and services. A major focus of this Shared Resource is to assist investigators with the design, implementation, and data analysis of multiplexed RNAi/CRISPR screens in mammalian cells. The Shared Resource has generated unique shRNA and CRISPR reagents that are not readily available elsewhere. These include a collection of verified domain-focused pooled CRISPR libraries and shRNA libraries targeted against gene families known to play key roles in cancer. In addition, the Shared Resource staff design and generate custom libraries based on Cancer Center member requests, and they collaborate with members to develop and optimize novel screening approaches. Expert training and assistance are provided to scientists at all stages of their functional genomics screening experiments. It is the goal of the Functional Genomics Shared Resource to leverage its innovative approaches to RNAi and genome editing to promote a deeper understanding of cancer pathways and dependencies, with the potential for discovery of new therapeutic targets and generation of disease-relevant models for improving human health. This Shared Resource is led by Faculty Head Christopher Vakoc, M.D., Ph.D., and Director Kenneth Chang, Ph.D. Over the last grant period, 22 Cancer Center members (58% of the membership) used the Functional Genomics Shared Resource, resulting in 32 publications.