Gene Editing Institute Brings CRISPR in a Box™ to Philadelphia High School

ChristianaCare’s Gene Editing Institute has achieved another first. On Feb. 15, the education team packed up supplies and drove to Roxborough High School in Philadelphia to teach students face-to-face how to cut a gene with CRISPR. The class marks the first time that CRISPR in a Box™, the gene editing toolkit used in the lesson, has been taught in a Philadelphia public high school.

The class forms part of the Gene Editing 360™ program, created by scientists at the Gene Editing Institute, that brings new perspectives to the field of genomic science. The Institute aims to demystify gene editing by engaging the next generation and letting young people work with CRISPR through a hands-on experiment to better understand its mechanism and applications to health care.

“Students found the lesson engaging while still being informative, which can be hard to find for high school science experiments,” said Courtney Thompson, high school teacher at Roxborough High School.

“I loved what the Gene Editing Institute was able to do with the material. They were interactive with the students, and fostered a welcoming environment for students to ask questions and really dive into what CRISPR can do. With these students being the next generation of doctors and scientists, I want to give them every experience I can to help them decide their path. Well done, Gene Editing Institute.”

Since spring 2023, the Gene Editing Institute has reached over 600 students at over 20 schools through the Gene Editing 360 program.

The Institute is on track to reach 200 more students before June 2024.