Tech Spotlight: AI and CRISPR Genome Editing 2026

CRISPR has become a powerful platform for genome engineering, offering new opportunities to develop genetic medicines for a wide range of diseases. As therapeutic applications continue to expand, advances in protein engineering, high-throughput screening and computational approaches are enabling researchers to develop CRISPR systems with greater activity, specificity and delivery potential. This webinar explores emerging approaches to engineering next-generation CRISPR systems for therapeutic applications, with a focus on CasX and its potential for both genome editing and epigenetic silencing. Attendees will gain insight into how systematic mutational screening and defined therapeutic objectives can be used to optimize CRISPR molecules, while also examining how engineered systems compare with established approaches such as Cas9, prime and base editing. The session will also highlight how AI-driven strategies can support the development of increasingly precise and effective genetic medicines. Key Learning Objectives: Understand how protein engineering is advancing the development of therapeutic CRISPR systems Explore how high-throughput screening can optimize CRISPR activity, specificity and deliverability Learn about the potential of engineered CasX for genome editing and epigenetic silencing Compare emerging CRISPR approaches with established Cas9, prime and base editing strategies Discover how AI can accelerate the development of more precise genetic medicines Sarah Denny, Ph.D., Senior Director of Molecular Engineering Session title CRISPR by Design: Engineering Next-Generation Genetic Medicines with Greater Precision and Efficiency Abstract Most CRISPR systems used in basic research and drug development applications today were discovered in nature and adapted – minimally – for therapeutic applications. The result is a tradeoff between potency and off-target risk that limits how broadly these tools can be applied. This webinar will cover a different approach: iterative, systematic engineering of a CRISPR system to create a genome targeting platform purpose-built for therapeutic use. In this webinar, you’ll learn how a CRISPR by Design™ approach enables the engineering of next-generation genome editing molecules to optimize for activity, specificity, and deliverability in parallel. The session will focus on CasX, a naturally compact and highly specific CRISPR nuclease, and cover how high-throughput mutational screening, guided by defined therapeutic objectives, enables precise navigation of the protein fitness landscape to yield molecules with >100x improvement in activity and no detectable off-target editing at supersaturating doses compared to the natural starting point. Attendees will receive a firsthand look at how this engineering process advances beyond conventional and first-generation CRISPR strategies, such as Cas9-based editing. Further, the session will cover how engineered CasX can underpin epigenetic silencing therapeutics designed to achieve durable gene silencing without permanent changes to DNA, and offer advantages relative to prime or base editing. Finally, learn how AI can accelerate the development of more precise and effective genetic medicines for prevalent diseases. Attend this webinar to: Understand how iterative protein engineering can transform naturally occurring CRISPR systems into purpose-built therapeutic tools Learn how the CRISPR by Design approach achieves simultaneous improvements in potency, specificity, and deliverability Explore how engineered CRISPR-CasX forms the molecular foundation for both gene editing and epigenetic silencing applications