3. Retinal Cell Fate Determination | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Nano Bodies, derived from camels and other organisms, have been used to develop a novel genetic manipulation technique that enables cell-specific activation or repression of genes, opening up new possibilities in various fields.

Key Insights

• 🤙 Nano bodies derived from camels and other organisms have been used to develop a genetic manipulation technique called Cree Dog and Flip Dog.
• ❓ The Cree Dog system enables cell-specific activation of genes in response to the presence of GFP or other epitopes.
• 👻 The Flip Dog system allows for cell-specific recombination and excision of gene segments.
• 🏆 This technology has been successfully tested in vivo, demonstrating its potential for cell-specific genetic manipulation in various organisms and tissues.
• 🎯 The destabilization and activation of nano bodies can be controlled by the presence or absence of specific epitopes, providing a versatile tool for targeted genetic manipulation.
• 😒 The use of viral vectors or transgenic approaches can enhance the efficiency and applicability of this technology.
• 🅰️ The technology can be used to study developmental processes, circuitry and physiology in specific cell types, advancing our understanding of complex biological systems.

Transcript

Stanford University thank you very much for the invitation to present here today it looks like a great lineup I agree I'm very honored to to be one of the speakers and thank you for not saying all the other things that probably you could have said although those were embarrassing enough actually riding my bike every day even in rain and snow is jus... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: What are nano bodies and why are they useful in genetic manipulation?

Nano bodies are antibodies derived from camels and other organisms that can bind to specific proteins or epitopes. They are useful in genetic manipulation because they can be used to regulate gene expression, recombination, and physiological responses in specific cell types.

Q: How does the Cree Dog system work?

The Cree Dog system utilizes nano bodies that bind to GFP or other epitopes. When GFP is present, the nano bodies stabilize and activate the transcription of specific genes, enabling cell-specific genetic manipulation.

Q: Can this technology be applied to non-GFP proteins?

Yes, this technology can be applied to non-GFP proteins by mutating the nano body to be unstable in the absence of its target epitope. By introducing the epitope, the nano body stabilizes and activates gene expression or other physiological responses.

Q: Does this technology have potential applications in other organisms besides mice?

Yes, this technology can be applied to other organisms as long as viral or other delivery methods are available. It opens up possibilities for cell-specific genetic manipulation in a wide range of species.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Nano bodies are modified antibodies derived from camels and other organisms with the ability to bind to specific proteins or epitopes.

• These nano bodies have been utilized to develop a system called "Cree Dog" and "Flip Dog," which enable cell-specific activation or repression of genes in response to the presence or absence of GFP or other epitopes.

• This technology has been successfully tested in in vitro and in vivo experiments, demonstrating its ability to drive gene expression, recombination, and physiological responses in specific cell types.