The company plans to use CRISPR-Cas9 as a binding tool to address bottlenecks in next-generation sequencing workflows.
Watchmaker Genomics has licensed CRISPR-Cas9 intellectual property from Caribou Biosciences to develop new solutions for next-generation sequencing (NGS) library preparation, the Boulder, Colorado-based company announced.
The non-exclusive license allows Watchmaker to use foundational CRISPR-Cas9 technology not for genome editing, but as a programmable binding tool to improve library normalization—a step that has become a bottleneck as sequencing throughput has increased.
“Normalization has quietly become a bottleneck as sequencing throughput has scaled,” says Brian Kudlow, chief science officer and founder at Watchmaker Genomics, in a release. “This license gives us the freedom to rethink normalization from first principles, using CRISPR-Cas9 in a way that’s orthogonal to editing but highly aligned with modern sequencing needs.”
Addressing Workflow Bottlenecks
Traditional normalization methods rely on discrete quantification and dilution steps that add time, introduce variability, and do not translate well to high-throughput automation due to required manual interventions. Watchmaker’s approach uses adapter-specific guides to bind sequencing-ready libraries in a controlled manner, enabling standardization of library inputs without extensive quantification.
The process is non-destructive, preserving library integrity and complexity while supporting downstream flexibility such as re-sequencing or workflow branching. The approach is compatible with existing adapters and fits into established pre-sequencing workflows without requiring specialized instrumentation or workflow redesign.
“The goal isn’t just to make normalization faster,” says Kudlow in a release. “It’s to make it more predictable and more compatible with the way sequencing is actually done today: at scale, under automation, and across diverse sample types.”
PCR-Free Sequencing Applications
Watchmaker is adapting this CRISPR-Cas9-enabled strategy as a core component of a complete PCR-free whole genome sequencing solution. The technology is designed to simplify operations, reduce DNA input requirements, and improve sequencing efficiency for large-scale population studies, newborn screening, and rare disease applications.
The license, combined with Watchmaker’s recently issued patent for the approach, supports the company’s development of technologies aimed at simplifying sequencing workflows from sample to results. As sequencing continues to scale across research and translational applications, workflow-level innovations play an increasingly central role in improving efficiency, data quality, and accessibility for clinical use.
Caribou Biosciences is a clinical-stage CRISPR genome-editing biopharmaceutical company that holds foundational intellectual property for CRISPR-Cas9 technology.
ID 169077753 © Alexandra Barbu | Dreamstime.com
