The ChemoGenix platform specializes in making genome-wide pooled CRISPR/Cas9 KO screens made in the presence of compounds inhibiting cell growth. These screens enable the identification, in a single experiment, of all human genes whose knockout results in either increased resistance or increased sensitivity to the tested compound, thereby facilitating the confirmation or discovery of the compound’s mechanism of action, potential side effects, and new gene functions related to its activity. Additionally, these experiments can predict which other compounds may act synergistically with the screened chemical.
University of Montreal holds two CRISPR licenses from both ERS Genomics and the Broad Institute, allowing the ChemoGenix platform to serve both academic and private sector clients.
Clients are charged solely to cover operational costs, with the stipulation that the findings will be publicly accessible on the platform’s website three years post-generation. This strategy is designed to support the broader scientific community by establishing an open-access repository of human chemogenomic signatures. In contrast, this policy does not extend to industrial clients, whose results will remain confidential.
To date, ChemoGenix has screened over 800 compounds across more than 1,600 experiments, creating the largest dataset of human chemogenomic signatures. This extensive data will enable future comparisons between screens, aiding in the prediction of compound mechanisms and enhancing the interpretation
Services offered:
- Pooled genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 KO screens made in the presence of compounds inhibiting cell proliferation (chemogenomic screens)
- Double genetic screens: KO of a gene of interest multiplexed with the knockout of all genes for a gene essentiality screen
- Support for sequencing and scoring of any other type of pooled CRISPR/Cas9 KO screen (guide RNA sequencing and calculation of gene enrichment/depletion scores)
Equipment:
- BioRad T-100 thermal cyclers
- Echo 525 acoustic liquid handler (high-throughput screening platform)
- Illumina Nextseq 2000 sequencer (genomic platform)
- Exhaustive collection of Spinner Flasks
- CimarecBiosystem Slow-Speed Stirrer for Cell Culture, 4 positions plus Biomodul 40B
- CO2 incubators
- Laminar flow hoods
- Pooled guide RNA libraries targeting all human genes: EKO and TKOv3