Welcome to the Moffat lab website. We are broadly interested in cell and gene engineering and are developing gene perturbation technology to examine genotype-to-phenotype relationships in mammalian cells at genome scale. Our work has largely focused on cell fitness and has helped uncover the first set of human cell line essential genes that help cells proliferate in culture, first using RNA interference methods, and more recently by applying the incredible power of CRISPR technology.

By studying essential genes and genetic interactions in mammalian cells, we can map out genes and circuits that contribute to cellular phenotypes, perform chemical genetic studies to understand drug mechanism-of-action, and combine observations with the development of molecular tools (e.g. biologics) in order to advance therapeutic strategies. Please look at our site to see who we are, discover our interests, and spot our latest accomplishments.