UK-based Desktop Genetics and LGC have announced that they will collaborate on the development of a novel pipeline to evaluate the efficiency of various approaches to CRISPR Cas9 genome engineering. The forthcoming joint effort will be supported by funding received from SynbiCITE, the UK’s national center for promoting adoption and commercialization of synthetic biology.Dr. Carole Foy, Principal Scientist in the Molecular and Cellular Biology Group at LGC, expressed her company’s excitement about the partnership and its goals. “LGC is delighted to be working with Desktop Genetics to develop tools to support the rapidly developing and growing field of synthetic biology,” she said. “The project will enable us to combine our highly complementary skill sets to provide novel QC approaches alongside time and cost savings to this sector.”CEO of Desktop Genetics Riley Doyle also commented on the news and welcomed the collaboration. “We’re excited to work with LGC on improving standards for genome editing experiments,” Doyle said. “We have repeatedly seen demand for standardization in genome editing, and this project will improve our capability to offer top-of-the-line single and multiplex CRISPR experimental support and validation to labs around the world.”CRISPR is moving faster than its methodologySince its arrival on the synthetic biology scene in 2013, CRISPR genome editing has been deployed in thousands of labs across the world. Owing to its revolutionary potential as a tool for rewriting the genetic code, the uptake of CRISPR is continuing to accelerate exponentially. Unsurprisingly, researchers’ appetite for the technology has outpaced the development of standard practice in the field. Countless groups have encouraged standardization by publishing their own open-access CRISPR protocols, among them leaders in the field such as Dr. George Church’s lab at Harvard and Dr. Feng Zhang’s lab at the Broad Institute. However, there remains an enormous amount of variation across the many different approaches to conducting and analyzing CRISPR genome editing assays. As CRISPR’s portfolio of uses expands to include applications such as gene regulation and genomic screens, the amount of variation can only be expected to increase.In the face of this glaring methodological patchwork, there has been an urgent call within the community for the development of standardized CRISPR approaches. Desktop Genetics and LGC intend to answer that call with their SynbiCITE-backed project. The specific goals of the project include development and evaluation of two PCR-based and one sequencing-based method for analyzing genomic DNA. The eventual fruits of the partnership will include delivering a standard protocol for detecting and quantifying targeted mutations.A closer look at each half of the partnershipDesktop Genetics and LGC would seem perfectly suited partners to undertake such an endeavor to standardize genome editing. The former is a growing startup out of the University of Cambridge providing software tools and informatics support for researchers conducting genome editing with CRISPR. The latter is an international leader in biological measurement and laboratory services, including genomic testing. With a history dating back more than 100 years, LGC Group is the official UK National Measurement Laboratory Institute for chemical and bio-measurement. The life sciences giant maintains a booming global presence in everything from drug testing and forensic science to genotyping and reference materials.While LGC is a long-standing and well-established fixture in the life sciences industry, Desktop Genetics is a relatively new arrival on the synbio scene. Founded in 2012 with the mission of delivering software innovation for genetics research, the startup has since raised $2.15 million in funding, received backing from Illumina, and established partnerships with the likes of Horizon Discovery, Editas Medicine, and Twist Bioscience. Now, Desktop’s most recent partnership with LGC will allow the startup to help make sense of a field that they have described as “highly fragmented.” Together, LGC and Desktop have the potential to make CRISPR genome editing even more user-friendly and accessible, further fortifying its position as a up-and-coming mainstay of life science research.