Life Science Seminar

▶ Subject :  Genome engineering via protein engineering:  Targeted Mutagenesis  in Cells and Organisms Using Zinc Finger Nucleases

▶ Speaker : Jin-Soo Kim (National Creative Research Initiatives Center for Genome Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University)

▶ Date :  4:00PM/ Oct. 7(Fri)/2011

▶ Place :  Aditorium(1F), Postech Biotech Center

*Abstract
Genome engineering that enables targeted mutagenesis and gene correction in higher eukaryotic cells and organisms is broadly useful in biology, biotechnology, and molecular medicine. Zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) are powerful and versatile tools of genome engineering, which can be used for targeted gene disruption and gene addition in cultured cells and organisms. ZFNs are artificial restriction enzymes made by fusing tailor-made DNA-binding zinc finger arrays to the FokI nuclease domain. ZFNs induce site-specific DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in the genome, whose repair via homologous recombination or non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) gives rise to targeted mutagenesis. Broad applications of ZFN technology in research and medicine, however, are hampered by the lack of a convenient and rapid method for the synthesis of functional ZFNs. We present an efficient and rapid modular-assembly method using pre-characterized zinc fingers to make ZFNs that can modify the DNA sequences of predetermined genomic sites in cell lines and model organisms, and propose that ZFNs would be broadly useful as tools in reverse genetics, biotechnology and gene/cell therapy. In addition, we present novel methods for enhancing the efficiency of ZFN-mediated mutagenesis and enriching mutant cells.
☎ Inquiry : Prof. Yong Song Gho (279-2345)