The formula for student success

100%

EMPLOYABILITY RATE OF STUDENTS WITH CRISPR TRAINING

130

STUDENTS RECEIVED FUNDING IN 2019/20 THROUGH AWARDS FROM THE 125 FUND

3.9BN

Led by Dr Kalpana Surendranath and Dr John Murphy, the Genome Engineering Lab aims to instruct young researchers in the theoretical and technical knowledge necessary to investigate complex problems of molecular and cellular biology, including the use of CRISPR.

“CRISPR is a technology which involves a molecular tool, and what we do here in the lab is to design the specific features of this tool,” explains Dr Surendranath. “Imagine that the human genome is like an instruction book. This instruction book contains 3.9 billion letters which dictate how the millions of molecules inside each cell talk to each other and determine what we should and should not be doing in our everyday lives; everything from when we eat to how long we sleep at night, etc. If you were to ask me, ‘Kalpana, I want to edit just one letter within this instruction book to change the fate of the human cell,’ I can do it for you using CRISPR. So, in this lab, we can rewrite the messages written in the DNA and create engineered human cells. is endless. We are extremely proud that our students at all levels are doing it right here at Westminster.”

A FORMULA FOR STUDENT SUCCESS

As a generous supporter of the University, alumnus Raj Sitlani was welcomed along to The 125 Fund’s annual celebration event in 2019 to learn about the projects our talented students were working on thanks to your invaluable support. Speaking to students from the University’s Genome Engineering Lab on the night, he was fascinated to discover a whole new area of biomedical research and keen to learn how he could contribute to their work.

The students, PhD researchers Nadeen Solaiman and Ahmed Sidali, were exhibiting the latest developments in their research, which explores how gene editing can help in early diagnosis and in prevention of childhood bone cancers. One of the key strengths of the lab in which they are based is that it provides PhD and Masters students with training in how to use CRISPR technology.

LETTERS MAKE UP THE HUMAN GENOME

“Of course, changes can be advantageous sometimes, but can also cause disease. We are looking at both aspects: trying to create changes to cure disease and create changes to make some cells more powerful to fight against diseases on their own. This technology offers multidisciplinary applications, including a better understanding of diseases and helps to design new medicines, improve crop production, fight mosquitoes and the list Dr Surendranath. “It’s one of those key specialisations which employers are looking for.” Which so far has proven to be the case as each year, more incredible success stories come out of the lab.

AS THE TECHNOLOGY OF THE DECADE, TRAINING IN CRISPR IS STILL RARE, EXPENSIVE AND SOUGHT AFTER BY EMPLOYERS

As the technology of the decade, training in CRISPR is still rare, expensive and sought after by employers. “It’s like having a star stamp,” says

“To give you one example,” says Dr Surendranath, “one of our students originally came from Eastern Europe and her desire to do something significant with her life was so great that she moved to Birmingham and

worked on a farm for three years milking cows, just to learn English. She studied her undergraduate course in Biomedical Sciences and joined our lab during her Masters degree. She was a really hard-working student, and we knew through observing her that she had a lot of potential. So, when an opportunity came up for a PhD position at the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), I advised her to go for it. She took a lot of convincing, being aware that Westminster is still a growing university in scientific research and this was one of the top positions in Europe. But amazingly, out of 700 candidates, she won the position. Just think of her journey! These success stories make me so proud of our students and makes our work so meaningful. It just shows that all they need is a platform and they achieve magical things.”

Since learning about the team’s research, Raj Sitlani has been to visit the lab and made a generous contribution to help fund their exceptional work.

“I had never heard about CRISPR before. On meeting Kalpana and her students who were so enthusiastic about their work, I simply felt that I had

to find out more. As a financial markets professional it is also refreshing to be presented with something so totally different and I felt very humble as I discovered a whole new world of science, at least to me!

“I have now visited the lab on two occasions to see a small fraction of the work being done and to get a better understanding of the equipment needed. I even got to peer into a microscope, something I have not done since I was a 16-year-old schoolboy. I am genuinely interested in seeing the team live and I find their exuberance very stimulating.

“I hope that my contribution will allow them to continue to grow as a team. Hopefully it has been a catalyst for them to attract further funding and, above all, I would like them to receive the recognition they thoroughly deserve, particularly because they are up against some very strong competition from the more ‘well-known’ and better funded universities.”

Understanding the value of this experience and the impact it’s having on Westminster students’ employability, Dr Surendranath has also been co-ordinating efforts in introducing CRISPR to undergraduates in her teaching and in lab-based projects to allow the greatest number of students to benefit from the technology.

“This is an exceptional opportunity for our students, because to create a platform and have the expertise to teach this technology is very expensive. The University and the School of Life Sciences has invested a lot to establish that platform and make this possible. We also rely on significant donors, such as Raj, and not only for their donation but also because it’s so encouraging for us to have our work recognised in this way.

“At Westminster, we’re still little people surrounded by giants, but this technology is bringing recognition to us. And the same thing, we believe, will happen to our students.”

Above: Raj Sitlani (third from right) met Dr Surendranath (second from right) and the rest of the staff and research students in the Genome Engineering Lab

To find out more about the research conducted in Westminster’s Genome Engineering Lab, visit westmingenlab.com