Direct observation of DNA target searching and cleavage by CRISPR-Cas12a

Cas12a (also called Cpf1) is a representative type V-A CRISPR effector RNA-guided DNA endonuclease, which provides an alternative to type II CRISPR-Cas9 for genome editing. Previous studies have revealed that Cas12a has unique features distinct from Cas9, but the detailed mechanisms of target searching and DNA cleavage by Cas12a are still unclear. Here, we directly observe this entire process by using single-molecule fluorescence assays to study Cas12a from Acidaminococcus sp. (AsCas12a). We determine that AsCas12a ribonucleoproteins search for their on-target site by a one-dimensional diffusion along elongated DNA molecules and induce cleavage in the two DNA strands in a well-defined order, beginning with the non-target strand. Furthermore, the protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM) for AsCas12a makes only a limited contribution of DNA unwinding during R-loop formation and shows a negligible role in the process of DNA cleavage, in contrast to the Cas9 PAM.

Encountering Cover Versions of Songs Derived from Music Listening History Data: Design and Field Study of the Mus??e Music Player

Department of Creative Design Engineeringclos

Artistic Visualisation of Personal Data: A Case Study of Digital Scheduler

The rapid development of digital technology has made it possible to manage analogue information digitally. Various analogue information is currently digitalised, and people conveniently use the information with applications in their smartphone. Among many, digital scheduler is one of the popular applications. However, digital scheduler still maintains the traditional look of paper calendars although it has been radically developed in terms of function and usage. And previous studies indicate artistically-visualised data made users to be engaged in daily context. Therefore, our study explores how the look and feel of digital scheduler can be better designed to deliver integrated and engaged calendar experience with daily life. For the study, an online survey and a design workshop were conducted with ten designers who were familiar with digital scheduler. The result shows that various elements can be used for artistic visualisation of their schedules to converse digital schedule in a visually engaged form. As a case study, the findings could provide design practitioners with a useful source of information in the artistic visualisation of digitalised personal data

Monomizo: A Tangible Desktop Artifact Providing Schedules from E-ink Screen to Paper

We introduce Monomizo, a tangible daily and monthly calendar in a concrete-casted desktop object that allows users to print out their daily schedules. Monomizo was designed to integrate the benefits of digital and paper-based scheduling by providing easy conversion of schedules in digital devices to analog media (e.g., paper). To investigate users??? schedule management experience with Monomizo, we conducted an in-field study of 10 participants over 6 days. The results showed that Monomizo helped users to review and reflect on the day via the screen and through attaching, writing, and physically possessing printed schedules. We also found value in encountering digital information through analog-metaphoric design that provides ambient permeation of schedules. Based on the findings, our study offers new possibilities for designing a tangible artifact that facilitates users??? effective planning and use of their days

Bringing the colour senses of personal photos to everyday living environment: the design and deployment of a tangible interactive lighting artifact

The color of a photo helps to visually communicate with us at an emotional level and remember the mood of the moment. We designed LightPalette to reinstate the direct reflex toward color in personal photos through a tangible lighting artifact within the users??? everyday environment. LightPalette works by retrieving major colors from a photo in smartphones and expresses them into the light on the acrylic shade enabling tangible adjustment of colors. We deployed LightPalette in 10 participants??? homes for a week to investigate how they interpret the mood of a photo by expressing its colors through a lamp. Findings showed that LightPalette supported users in visualizing the invisible atmosphere of each moment and discovered its potential to be used as a color diary for reflecting on the day. Our findings imply possibilities for future lighting that provides self-perception by portraying personal visual records stored in digital space into the lighting

Design and Field Trial of Lumino in Homes: Supporting Reflective Life by Archiving and Showing Daily Moods with Light Colors

Although archiving daily moods in a diary is a common behavior, reflection is difficult because of the pressure brought about by continuous self-tracking of personal moods. In this paper, we developed Lumino, a standalone device that enables users to log their daily moods with colored lights and switch mode to show the log by physically sliding a circular lighting plate. The results of our three-week in-field study with six participants revealed that Lumino helped users encounter emotional archives as it separated reflective experiences from daily life activities. Moreover, Lumino helped prevent deep reflection on negative emotions and maintained privacy through abstract color expression. We also found user???s various trials to control emotion reflections in their own usage patterns. We propose considerations for augmenting daily mood recording experiences combined with existing diary practices and further implications for designing how to support positively the negative reflections in everyday spaces

Current trends in gene recovery mediated by the CRISPR-Cas system

Experimental & Molecular Medicine: Genetic disease: Gene editing for recovery The CRISPR-Cas gene editing system, which relies on small RNA molecules to guide a gene-editing enzyme to specific locations on DNA, is being developed as an effective tool for correcting genetic disorders. Researchers in South Korea led by Sangsu Bae at Hanyang University in South Korea, review recent progress towards such “gene recovery” procedures. The possibilities range from correcting mutations at the level of a single base in the base sequence of DNA, to deleting, inverting or inserting large sections of DNA to correct major structural abnormalities. The authors discuss the pros and cons of different procedures, including CRISPR-Cas nucleases, base editors, and prime editors. They expect current laboratory animal investigations will lead to a new era in human genetic medicine, yielding treatments for genetic diseases that cannot currently be treated with drugs

Design and Field Trial of Tunee in Shared Houses: Exploring Experiences of Sharing Individuals??? Current Noise-level Preferences with Housemates

Being a little more careful about the sound that people produce is difficult in shared houses because individuals can generate several unintended living noises and sounds. We designed Tunee to help each housemate better understand the others??? context and desired noise-level. It is an interactive speaker that allows people to share noise-level preferences through the position change of nodes. Our three-week in-field study with four groups of participants revealed that expressing noise-level preference through nodes reduced the burden of verbally delivering issues about the trivial noises of everyday life, and the intentions of the lowered preference were referred to and deemed significant. We also identified how participants figured out what behavior was acceptable for others according to each noise-level. Our findings imply considerations in designing interfaces to support coordinating behaviors and awareness of social contexts in shared spaces

Slide2Remember: an Interactive Wall Frame Enriching Reminiscence Experiences by Providing Re-encounters of Taken Photos and Heard Music in a Similar Period

The abundance of easily captured digital media and storing everything "just in case" has made it difficult for people to revisit them and have a rich reminiscence experience. To reinstate this value, we developed Slide2Remember, a wall photo frame enabling people to re-encounter their histories of digital photos and music. By physically sliding the device's front cover, users can hear songs that they had listened to in the same period when the photo was taken. From our four-week in-field study with 7 participants, we showed how Slide2Remember supported narrative remembering experiences of past moments and found detailed roles of each medium in the recall of life events. Moreover, the sliding interaction encouraged participants to begin their retrospection with anticipation and curiosity. Our findings imply considerations for providing a new recalling experience by overlaying one digital possession type over another and ways to encounter past data in everyday living spaces