Lisa’s Chalk Talk

This week in BSURF, we were tasked to present our projects in the form of a chalk talk. We had 8 minutes and a whiteboard, and had to communicate the central ideas and questions underlying our projects. Each talk was engaging and informative, and I enjoyed this dedicated time to further my understanding of the other fellows’ projects. Now, when I ask my BSURF friends about their days in the lab, I’ll have some background on the techniques they use!

For this week’s blog, I’m asked to identify a fellow’s chalk talk to reflect on. Lisa’s talk was particularly intriguing to me. Her research focuses on CRISPR-Cas9—more specifically, the guide RNAs used to direct the Cas9 protein to a DNA sequence. 

Lisa first provided background on the broader implications of her project. She explained how currently, the most pressing risk associated with the use of CRISPR is off-target DNA cuts. I learned about how Lisa’s project uses dCas-9, a deactivated form of Cas9 that finds, but doesn’t cut, a specific sequence of DNA. From my understanding, the overarching goal of her project is to gain a better understanding of different variations of Cas9 proteins. This, she explained, could have implications for clinical CRISPR use, particularly for patients who are resistant to commonly used forms of the Cas-9 protein.

The down-to-earth tone of Lisa’s presentation was what made her talk stand out. I admired her presentation skills–she presents with a confident voice, and isn’t afraid to incorporate humor into her talk. She effectively reduced complex topics into easily digestible terms, which kept the audience engaged and intrigued.

I found her topic very compelling, and I hope to be able to learn more about the CRISPR-Cas9 system in the future.