QIAGEN launches dedicated CRISPR products for rapid and simplified analysis of gene-editing experiments

QIAGEN has announced the launch of QIAprep& CRISPR Kit and CRISPR Q-Primer Solutions that allow researchers to analyze edited genetic material with unparalleled speed and efficiency to determine how their interventions have changed the function of the DNA sequence in question.

The product launch marks QIAGEN’s dedicated solutions specific to the fast-growing field of CRISPR technology used for editing genomes and modifying gene function. Short for “clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats,” CRISPR has a host of potential applications, from correcting genetic defects, treating and preventing the spread of diseases and accelerating drug discovery and biomedical research. The new products add to the range of QIAGEN products that could also be used for CRISPR research such as the QIAGEN EndoFree Plasmid Kits and Plasmid Plus Kits.

The QIAprep& CRISPR Kit and the new CRISPR Q-Primer Solutions provide scientists with a sensitive, all-in-one process for characterizing so-called knock-outs generated from guide RNA (gRNA) and knock-ins from small insertions during gene editing. Kit and solutions combine liquid-based sample preparation with downstream PCR detection as well as the Sanger method of DNA sequencing.

“These highly sensitive new tools will drastically reduce the time to result in experiments, with cell cultivation requirements cut down by seven days compared to existing methods, accelerating research in this cutting-edge field,” said Thomas Schweins, Senior Vice President, Life Sciences at QIAGEN. “They give a further boost to CRISPR’s potential for breakthroughs in biomedical research into cancer, neurological conditions, gene therapy, cell therapy, immunotherapy, regenerative medicine, and disease modeling ­­– and in the discovery of disease-signaling biomarkers and drug development.”

The QIAprep& CRISPR Kit and CRISPR Q-Primer Solutions are optimized for analyses of cells edited with methods such as CRISPR with adherent and suspension cell cultures – including experiments with the proteins Cas9 and Cas12a often used to cut DNA – and can even be used with single-cell inputs. Positive PCR controls for human, mouse and rat are included to determine the effectiveness of gene-editing conditions. Primers for PCR and Sanger sequencing can be easily customized to suit any target.

Unveiled less than a decade ago, CRISPR has revolutionized genomics by making the editing of genomes in humans, plants and animals easy and cheap. CRISPR can locate a specific section of DNA inside a cell and then alter its function by editing its DNA sequence. It is widely used in scientific research, where one hope is it will transform drug development and even medicine as a whole.

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