Erica Li-Leger

Identification of essential genes in Caenorhabditis elegans through whole genome sequencing of legacy mutant collections

This study identifies 58 essential genes in C. elegans using whole genome sequencing of maternal-effect lethal and sterile mutants, revealing novel alleles and functional roles in embryonic development and fertilization.

Optimizing guide RNA selection and CRISPR/Cas9 methodology for efficient generation of deletions in C. elegans.

The paper develops an optimized CRISPR/Cas9 protocol for generating deletions in C. elegans, demonstrating high efficiency and minimal off-target effects.

Accelerating gene discovery by phenotyping whole-genome sequenced multi- mutation strains and using the sequence kernel association test (SKAT)

The paper uses a whole-genome sequenced multi-mutation C. elegans library with SKAT to identify genes associated with ciliated sensory neuron defects, uncovering novel genes like BGNT-1.1 linked to human ciliopathies.