Crisanti Lab's work is published in the leading biotechnology, infectious disease and genetics journals
Meet our passionate group of scholars, students and support staff
At Crisanti lab, we are developing genetically modified mosquitoes that could reduce the mosquito population that transmits malaria
Read, watch and listen to press coverage of our research and activities
From science festivals to school visits, we love to share our research with the public
PRESS
RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS
Single-cell profiling of Anopheles gambiae spermatogenesis defines the onset of meiotic silencing and premeiotic overexpression of the X chromosome
Nature Communications Biology
– 15 August 2023
In a nutshell:
Current genetic control strategies rely on regulatory elements with more tightly restricted spatial and/or temporal expression, but very few germline-specific regulatory elements have been characterised, with the majority showing leaky expression. Here, we build on our previous study, dissecting gametogenesis into four distinct cell populations. We reveal overexpression of X-linked genes in a distinct cluster of pre-meiotic cells and document the onset of meiotic silencing of the X chromosome in a subcluster of cells in the latter stages of spermatogenesis. Our lab authored this study alongside scholars from the University of Keele.
Whole-Mount Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization to Study Spermatogenesis in the Anopheles Mosquito
JoVE JOURNAL
– 26 May 2023
In a nutshell:
Two of our lab members contributed to this protocol, which describes how whole-mount fluorescence in situ hybridization (WFISH) can be used to study the dramatic changes in cell nuclear structure through spermatogenesis with fluorescent probes that specifically stain the X and Y chromosomes. WFISH enables the preservation of the native cytological structure of the testis, which allows researchers to follow changes in the chromosomal behavior of cells undergoing meiosis along the structure of the organ, where each phase of the process can clearly be distinguished. This technique could be particularly useful for studying chromosome meiotic pairing and investigating cytological phenotypes.
CRISPR-Mediated Cassette Exchange (CriMCE): A Method to Introduce and Isolate Precise Marker-Less Edits
THE CRISPR JOURNAL
– 12 December 2022
In a nutshell:
The introduction of small unmarked edits to the genome of insects is essential to study the molecular underpinnings of important biological traits, such as resistance to insecticides and genetic control strategies. Advances in CRISPR genome engineering have made this possible, but prohibitively laborious for most labs due to low rates of editing and the lack of a selectable marker. To facilitate the generation and isolation of precise marker-less edits we have developed a two-step method based on CRISPR-mediated cassette exchange (CriMCE) of a marked placeholder for a variant of interest. This strategy can be used to introduce a wider range of potential edits compared with previous approaches while consolidating the workflow.
OUTREACH ACTIVITIES
Crisanti Lab regularly takes part in outreach activities, sharing its work with the public and the wider world through exhibitions, games, talks, installations and school visits. If you’d like to learn more about our activities, please contact Lucy Collyns.
Below is our latest outreach activity at the 2023 Great Exhibition Road Festival, where our team wowed visitors with an interactive exhibition of games and sound art. You can read more about our contribution to the Great Exhibition Road Festival via the Target Malaria website.
