AI Summary
study gene function is CRISPR, a gene-editing technology that allows for precise modifications to the DNA of cells. This has revolutionized functional genomics by enabling researchers to efficiently and effectively explore the impact of individual genes on biological processes.
insights from industryUlrike KünzelAssociate Director of Functional Genomics
AstraZeneca
In this interview conducted at SLAS EU 2023 in Brussels, Belgium, we spoke to Ulrike Künzel, Associate Director in the Functional Genomics department at AstraZeneca, about the application of arrayed CRISPR screening for target identification and more.
Please could you introduce yourself and tell us what inspired your career in functional genomics?
My name is Ulrike Künzel, and I am an Associate Director in the Functional Genomics department at AstraZeneca. I work on establishing CRISPR screens with high-content imaging endpoints for various diseases, such as kidney disease and oncology, to identify and validate targets for drug discovery.
I have always been interested in understanding more about molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie disease and how we can use these to make new therapeutics. This is why I studied biochemistry and did a Ph.D. in cell biology.
My Ph.D. inspired me to go into functional genomics as it involved a proteomic screen to find new interaction partners and subsequent screen validation using a small interfering RNA and CRISPR.
CRISPR was a new editing technology at the time that allowed me to make a gene knockout of any gene in any cell type. This was revolutionary and inspired me to investigate CRISPR as a tool for biomedical research, which eventually brought me to my role at AstraZeneca.
What is functional genomics, and how have CRISPR technologies transformed this field?
Functional genomics studies the link between genes and the biology of disease. One tool to