Jonathan Weissman

Jonathan Weissman developed CRISPRi (CRISPR interference) and CRISPRa (CRISPR activation) technologies that enable reversible gene silencing and activation without cutting DNA, providing complementary screening platforms to CRISPR knockout approaches for cancer gene discovery. He co-invented Perturb-seq, combining CRISPR perturbations with single-cell RNA-seq readout to measure the transcriptional consequences of gene knockdown at single-cell resolution. His CRISPRi screens have identified essential genes, regulatory elements, and non-coding RNAs critical for cancer cell survival. He has mapped the genetic architecture of cellular stress response pathways relevant to cancer through systematic CRISPRi profiling.