NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Two recently published sequencing methods demonstrate the ability to systematically reveal unintended consequences of CRISPR/Cas9 activity in the genome.

The methods could provide researchers with an accurate and unbiased tool to gauge the specificity of the gene editing technology as it moves closer toward clinical therapeutic use, according to experts.

The ability of the Cas9 nuclease to create a double-stranded break is the crux of CRISPR, but scientists have been reporting off-target effects and have to design their experiments to account for it.