On 11 March 2016, the Thailand Toray Science Foundation (TTSF) organized the 22nd TTSF Science and Technology Grant Presentation Ceremony. Dr. Weerawat Runguphan of BIOTEC was among 20 researchers selected for the Science and Technology Research Grants this year. The fund will support his project titled “Development of MultiCRISPR, a Simple and High-Throughput Platform for Multi-Gene Pathway Optimization based on CRISPR/Cas”.
Building upon his previous work on CRISPR-based transcription factors, Weerawat will develop a high-throughput strategy, which he terms multiCRISPR, for optimization of multi-gene pathways. He will demonstrate that the CRISPR/Cas system can be programmed to fine-tune two orthogonal promoters in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These orthogonal crisprTFs will then be employed to improve the production of an isoprenoid compound and a high-quality biofuel. The sensitivity and multiplexibility of this multiCRISPR system will provide the precise level of fine-tuning required for optimization of such pathways. This system is expected to surpass convention pathway optimization strategies in speed and efficiency.
The Thailand Toray Science Foundation (TTF) was established through initial endowment by Toray Industries, Inc. (Japan) in 1993 with the aim to contribute to the progress of science and technology in Thailand. The TTF annually provides grants and awards to various projects in the fields of natural science.
