This National Science Foundation Project Grant of $649,998 will fund research into adaptive and regulatory diversity in natural CRISPR-Cas systems from March 1, 2023 to February 29, 2028. The grant was awarded under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) to further the program's goals of advancing the biological sciences and strengthening the Nation's scientific enterprise.
The University of Washington will investigate the mechanisms by which diverse CRISPR systems acquire immunological memory against viruses. Researchers will study Listeria seeligeri and its phages to understand how four distinct CRISPR types, including the RNA-targeting CRISPR-Cas13 system, acquire new spacers from foreign genetic elements. Next-generation sequencing and mutagenesis of CRISPR-associated genes will be used to detect rare acquisition events and assess gene contributions to immunization. The work aims to elucidate spacer integration site selection and whether the Cas13 system specifies capture of transcribed RNA sequences. Findings will enhance understanding of CRISPR-Cas immune programming in nature and inform CRISPR-based technologies.
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