Research interests
Amna Imtiaz, a former MS student, worked on optimizing CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing by comparing two guide RNA delivery methods: plasmid-encoded sgRNA and in vitro transcribed (IVT) gRNA. She focused on introducing the oncogenic PIK3CA-H1047R mutation into MCF10a cells and assessed editing efficiency using CAS-qPCR, which differentiates between mutant and wild-type alleles. Her findings highlighted that IVT-based delivery provides more consistent results, while plasmid-based methods offer practical advantages. Her work supports improved strategies for precise genome editing in functional genomics research.
Keywords:
Genome editing optimization, guide RNA delivery, CAS-qPCR