When Daryl Gohl was in graduate school in the early 2000s, the only option for DNA sequencing was Sanger sequencing, which cost around $10 per read. By the time he completed his Ph.D. in 2008, CRISPR/Cas9, the programmable gene-editing tool, was still four years away from being introduced. Now there’s a sequencer that can generate a million reads for 25 cents, or approximately 40 million reads for the cost of a single Sanger read. And CRISPR/Cas9 has become a standard tool in biological research and biotechnology, including basic research, clinical trials, medicine and agriculture.
Gohl, group leader of the University of Minnesota Genomics Center’s Innovation Lab, has observed the brisk pace of change in the field and changes in our understanding of genome structure, function, and evolution made possible by the introduction of this new technology. He has been perfectly positioned to understand how the technology of today has informed the present and how new tools are poised to transform the scientific landscape in just a few years from now. Gohl has long been interested in using and adapting the latest tools and technologies to answer biological questions. Now, at the Innovation Lab, he’s focused on expanding the scope, scale, accuracy and resolution of genomic measurements.
“Here in the UMGC Innovation Lab, we help researchers understand the pros and cons of new tools and how to best apply them in their research,” he says. “It’s difficult to keep up with both the new research in one’s field and the evolving technological landscape, so that’s why we’re here.” He’s experienced this rapid pace of change himself: “When I was a postdoc in the early 2010s, the whole field had a radical transformation thanks to next-generation sequencing methods that allow millions or even billions of DNA molecules to be sequenced in parallel.
“It’s been as revolutionary as the invention of the microscope in the 1600s, since these sequencing applications open up worlds like the ones that opened up via the microscope,” he says. “We can suddenly see all of this stuff that was previously invisible to us.”
In this environment of rapid change, Gohl is working to advance the field of genomics by aiming to understand some of the hidden errors and biases of DNA sequencers. “They’re both figuratively and often literally black boxes,” he says.
Catalyzing genomics research at University is a major goal for the Innovation Lab. One example of this was an effort to develop a robot that automates the difficult process of microinjection into embryos with Suhasa Kodandaramaiah's group in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Automating this labor and skill-intensive process helps to enable new types of large-scale gene editing and functional genomics experiments.
“There’s already been a lot of interest from other researchers in accessing this technology for other species,” Gohl says. “We’re seeing the possibility for additional applications like controlling disease vectors or agricultural pests or for aiding in cryopreserving endangered species or other genetic resources. We’ve spun out a start-up, Objective Biotechnology, to commercialize this instrument and make it widely available to researchers.”
Another Innovation Lab collaboration was with invasive species researcher Mike McCartney, who was working to sequence the zebra mussel genome. This work led to several follow-on projects, including work funded by the Department of Defense's Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program to develop genetic biocontrol tools for the invasive species.
It’s clear from these examples that Gohl is finding ways to provide support for many different types of projects. “I do spend a lot of time meeting with people,” he says. “Mostly they’re looking for the best and most efficient technology to accomplish their goals. That’s one of the fun things about science — the opportunity to be creative, brainstorm together and find a clever solution to a problem. Plus, it’s exciting to get to learn about a new field and maybe bring in ideas that can help move work forward.”
Gohl, who is originally from Little Falls, Minnesota, is happy to be back home after living all over the country while pursuing his education. These days, he’s assisting and advancing breakthroughs that he hopes will make an impact right here at home. “I’m particularly motivated to apply these tools to benefit the state of Minnesota,” he says. “This has been, if you will, a ‘North Star’ in my research.” — Julie Kendrick