The Open Philanthropy Project recommended a grant of $2,550,171 over three years to Duke University to develop tools to apply epigenome editing to refine genome wide association studies (GWAS). The work will be led by Charles Gersbach, the Rooney Family Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering. This funding will support research to develop CRISPR-based epigenetic tools to interrogate thousands of regions of DNA, allowing for more nuanced studies of genomic regions identified through GWAS. The grant will also fund testing and verification of the tools by identifying loci implicated in schizophrenia, a poorly understood disorder.
This grant falls within Open Philanthropy's interest in funding scientific research, and specifically within its interest in developing tools and techniques.