Project Introduction

Hello everyone! My name is Shravan Kannan. I’ve been at BASIS ever since 9th grade, and I love applying biology and chemistry to gain a newfound understanding of cancer and finding new treatments for it. Welcome to my senior project on designing a CRISPR-Cas9n genetic treatment for Lynch Syndrome (hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer [HNPCC]). HNPCC is an inherited colon cancer caused by mutations running across generations. The only way to treat this disease is colectomy (an invasive surgical procedure involving colon removal). Since this procedure can have debilitating side effects, it is crucial to discover new treatment methods for it, such as genetic treatments.

I will be exploring a variety of concepts to complete this project, through both treatment design and clinical applications. The genetic treatment will be designed around the CRISPR-Cas9 nickase system, a system that uses single-strand cuts over double-strand DNA breaks to cut out mutated DNA and replace it with the correct copy of DNA. The most complex part of this project will be to manipulate the CRISPR-Cas9 nickase system to encompass 2 genes and design proof-of-concept experiments as part of the theoretical approach to treating HNPCC.

The symptoms and state of treatment for HNPCC is included in my senior project proposal. And I explain how the CRISPR-Cas9 nickase system works in more detail. For reference, here is a link to the proposal.

Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cqUYlPHdtMTrssodzzLKwVpYZdGEnLyGz-B9Gwh9CmM/edit?usp=sharing

Stay tuned for more information! — Shravan Kannan