Nucleases

Compared with earlier technologies, the effective power of Genome engineering lies in its ability to insert the gene of interest in the chosen place. For many years, researchers’ methods were akin to “playing darts blindfolded”. They would study the effect of randomly inserted sequences, despite the fact that insertion in the wrong place can have harmful effects: one gene can be inserted into another and inactivate it, or activate cancer mechanisms. This is where Cellectis has the competitive edge. Its expertise in nucleases means that it is able to precisely target a specific locus in the genome. Cellectis’ tools give scientists the precision they were lacking.

Cellectis manufactures nucleases that can cut precise new sequences, and are thus tailor-made for genes of interest. The feasibility of Nuclease engineering allows the creation of a wide range of specific tools to modify the targeted genes. It is the technological vision upon which Cellectis was founded 11 years ago. This was achieved when the Nuclease platform was able to produce custom Nuclease specific of any new gene of interest, with the same characteristics as the wild type ones (efficacy, specificity,…). This expertise in Genome engineering tools production has allowed Cellectis to evolve from a tool producer to a product-delivering company.