| name | opencrispr-gene-editors |
| description | Evaluate and operate released Profluent OpenCRISPR gene-editing systems, especially OpenCRISPR-1, for controlled research workflows using its published Cas9-like protein, compatible guide RNA designs, protocols, licensing, specificity testing, and experimental validation. Use when comparing OpenCRISPR-1 with SpCas9, planning nonclinical editing studies, or assessing use in nuclease, nickase, deactivated, base, prime, or epigenome-editing contexts. |
OpenCRISPR Gene Editors
Use only released OpenCRISPR systems under institutional biosafety, ethical, and legal oversight. This skill does not authorize de novo editor engineering or clinical use.
Workflow
- Define the research purpose, cell or organism system, genomic target, delivery method, and whether nuclease, nickase, or deactivated activity is required.
- Confirm that the released system and NGG PAM preference fit the target and that the guide design is compatible with the intended editor configuration.
- Obtain sequence and protocol materials from the official release and record the repository revision, construct, guide, and license status.
- Design a comparison that includes a validated reference editor, mock control, non-targeting guide, positive control, and multiple independent guides when possible.
- Pre-register on-target efficiency, indel spectrum, bystander effects, off-target assessment, viability, innate immune response, and delivery metrics.
- Use orthogonal assays for editing efficiency and specificity; do not rely on a single amplicon, prediction model, or reporter.
- Confirm the exact editor state and fusion architecture before interpreting base, prime, or epigenome-editing results.
- Stop escalation when safety, specificity, or reproducibility thresholds are not met.
Guardrails
- Do not use this skill to design pathogen-enhancing edits, transmissible systems, or unapproved human germline or clinical interventions.
- Do not assume canonical SpCas9 guide compatibility guarantees equivalent activity or specificity.
- Do not omit off-target and structural-variant assessment for consequential experiments.
- Follow institutional biosafety committee, ethics, material-transfer, and licensing requirements.
- Treat commercial therapeutic use as license-controlled even though sequences are public.
- Require qualified experimental review before ordering constructs or initiating wet-lab work.
Output Contract
Return the use case, editor configuration, licensing status, guide and control strategy, assay plan, predefined acceptance thresholds, biosafety review, failure criteria, and evidence gaps.
Read references/operations.md for release facts, access, validation considerations, and canonical sources.