A new artificial intelligence tool, developed in the US, helps researchers plan and carry out experiments using CRISPR, the widely used gene-editing technology. 

CRISPR allows scientists to target specific genes and remove, tweak or replace them, with applications ranging from basic biological processes to potential therapies for genetic diseases. But designing effective CRISPR experiments is often slow and can lead to unpredictable genetic errors, such as editing the wrong sequence and causing unwanted effects. 

The new tool from Stanford University Medical Center, CRISPR-GPT, available at Agent4Genomics, draws on years of published experimental data to refine designs and suggest approaches that are more likely to succeed. CRISPR-GPT uses a chat interface where researchers can enter their experimental goals, context and relevant gene sequences. The AI then suggests experimental approaches and identifies potential problems. 

The researchers also tested CRISPR-GPT in two cancer studies. In lung cancer cells, it successfully turned off four genes that support tumour survival and spread. In skin cancer cells it activated genes linked to resistance against immunotherapy. Both experiments, carried out by researchers not familiar with gene editing, worked on the first attempt. 

“The hope is that CRISPR-GPT will help us develop new drugs in months, instead of years,” said Le Cong, lead author of the study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering. “In addition to helping students, trainees and scientists work together, having an AI agent that speeds up experiments could also eventually help save lives.” 

The goal is now to extend this approach to other areas of biomedicine, such as stem cell research or cardiovascular disease.