Jennifer Moran

Research

Recombineering Core Director Jennifer Moran is currently engaged in research to bring new Synthetic DNA technology into the repertoire of Core Facility technical services. Using commercially-available oligos as the raw material, we are able to synthesize virtually any DNA sequence we (or collaborators) can design in silico, up to about 1 kb. We have recently succeeded in joining three synthesized fragments (total length ~3 kb) and cloning them into an injectable integration vector (for Drosophila transgenics), using an efficient, one-step reaction. As this process is refined, it will open up numerous possibilities for creative projects. For instance, we are currently synthesizing a construct to permit RNAi knockdown of multiple genes in Drosophila. Our goal is to test the multiple knockdown of putative “cancer genes” in a combinatorial fashion in this model organism.
Dr. Moran and Recombineering Core scientist Alec Victorsen provide pre-experimental consultation to investigators who seek to incorporate advanced transgenic technology into their research programs.