HIV-CRISPR: A novel approach to the comprehensive discovery of HIV latency factors

This project uses a novel approach to understanding HIV latency based on an innovative genetic screening method that we have developed called HIV-CRISPR that uses the packaging of CRISPR guides into budding HIV to serve as a readout for the effects of host genes on HIV. This technique is both high-throughput and comprehensive and our plan is to adapt to models of HIV latency. Our strategy combines genetic screens with low doses candidate latency reversal agents to identify synergism between different pathways of HIV latency maintenance in order to find targets that more broadly activate HIV from latency while at the same time providing a greater degree of specificity.