Seed Translational Research Project (STRP)

Tricia Seifert, Crash Course

Degree completion is a key challenge facing colleges and universities. Racialized, first generation, rural, and low-income students often lack access to the support systems needed for college success, leading these students to drop-out at greater rates than their peers.

Attempting to address some of these factors that contribute to student attrition, Dr. Siefert has developed Crash Course. This video game aims to empower students with the knowledge and skills needed for successful college experiences while promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education.

Blake Wiedenheft, RNA editing

Despite the extensive progress that has been made in DNA editing, tools to manipulate RNA, without a DNA intermediate, are limited. Manipulating RNA is a prerequisite for studying RNA viruses, and to support the growing interest in vaccine development and gene therapy.

Combining sequence-specific RNA cleavage by CRISPR RNA-guided ribonucleases with programmable RNA repair to make precise deletions, insertions, and substitutions, Blake's team aims to modify any RNA target. Having the ability to edit RNA will unleash a myriad of applications, starting with its use by researchers in the fields of drug discovery and vaccine development.