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CRISPR IN A BOX™

Demystifying gene editing. Bringing CRISPR to the classroom.

In a short time, CRISPR gene editing has transformed biology and medicine, and the field is still in its infancy. The Gene Editing Institute accelerates innovation to improve patient outcomes in Delaware and beyond. Together with ChristianaCare, one of the country's most dynamic healthcare organizations, we continue to bring genomic medicine to the forefront of cancer care.

To continuously engage our community and ensure that the next generation of scientists represents the population they serve, we transformed an experiment from our research laboratory into a teaching toolkit.

History of CRISPR in a Box™

CRISPR in a Box™ was initially conceptualized from a project spearheaded by two staff scientists at the institute who were reviewing DNA repairs after breaks in the structure. After creating the first in-vitro gene editing reaction, the two reviewed the contents and their experimental flow and determined that the simplicity of the process could be an advantage in a teaching toolkit. The science of the experiment would still be comprehensive, but the experiment itself could be completed across multiple days. These features made the kit appealing for high school and collegiate instructors.

To pursue the creation of an educational toolkit, the Gene Editing Institute collaborated with Delaware Technical Community College with the help of a $1 million National Science Foundation grant in 2017. This marked the first time an NSF grant was used to educate students on a high school level. After initial testing with students from Wilmington Friends and The Tatnall School, the kit was further modified and developed into a stand-alone box with reagents and a protocol that follows the latest national standards for biotechnology education.

CRISPR in a Box™ has already been used successfully by more than 1,250 students in classroom and laboratory activities around the country, providing teachers with a resource for students to try their own hands at being gene editing scientists. Through the toolkit, students learn how to assemble CRISPR as a pair of “molecular scissors” to cut DNA at a specific location. The kit was voted a Best of STEM 2023 Awards Finalist by the National Science Teaching Association, MCH Strategic Data and the National Association of Biology Teachers. In 2024, The Scientist chose CRISPR in a Box™ as one of its Top 10 Innovations, celebrating the interactive and authentic experience that students get in a lab setting with the kit.

CRISPR in a Box™ is available for purchase at Carolina.com, or by calling 800-334-5551 or emailing curriculum@carolina.com.

Reagents and manual for CRISPR in a Box educational toolkit.

How does it work?

Scientist using DECODR on laptop in lab.

What's included?

CRISPR in a Box™ includes all required reagents, cell free extracts, restriction enzymes, and bacteria cultures necessary to complete the experiment. A miniprep is also included to allow students to isolate plasmid DNA from bacterial cultures and purify their sample after carrying the main experiment.

CRISPR in a Box™ includes an instructor's manual with background information, an experimental overview, and support for teachers new to CRISPR reactions.

You can read more about the contents of the box and the protocol through our profile piece on the product, located here.

Each Box Demonstrates:
Key CRISPR Learnings
Molecular Laboratory Skills
DNA Repair Pathways
Phenotypic Readout
Genotypic Editing Outcomes

Frequently Asked Questions

By working with CRISPR in a Box™, you're giving all students an opportunity to explore a career in gene editing, discovering next-generation cures and diagnostics for diseases like cancer. Through this experiment, they will learn the fundamentals of CRISPR gene editing.

CRISPR in a Box™ is geared toward ambitious high schools, community colleges, and universities.

Students will learn the fundamentals of CRISPR gene editing, as well as basic laboratory techniques that are used throughout the field. Students perform a hands-on gene editing experiment, including a live readout within non-infectious E. coli bacteria. These experiments follow a gene editing reaction from beginning to end using techniques scientists utilize  in research laboratories.

CRISPR in a Box™ does not use live human cultures or viruses. The cell-free system allows students to complete the reaction “in a tube” rather than within a living cell. This cell-free method allows students to more accurately learn and analyze the steps involved in a typical gene editing reaction.

CRISPR technology is the future of gene editing and biomedical research. All students should have an opportunity to explore careers in this field, discovering next-generation cures and diagnostics for diseases like cancer.

Basic biology laboratory equipment is required to teach CRISPR in a Box™. Please see the attached file for a complete list of required equipment that is not supplied by the kit.

CRISPR in a Box™ is completely safe as it does not use any live human cultures or viruses.

To teach CRISPR in a Box™, you need basic biology and microbiology skills. Micropipetting is essential, and an understanding of DNA is beneficial.

Need more information?

To find out more about the education program, email us at geneediting360@christianacare.org.