“My research is in improving methods for delivering gene editing tools to liver cells to treat inherited metabolic diseases. This is process of delivering a tool that can perform a cut at a targeted site in the host's genome. Specifically, I look at non-viral methods for delivering CRISPR-Cas9. Viral delivery is associated with risks of the viral genome inserting itself into the host. The non-viral method I am focusing on now is transfection by electroporation, which is shocking cells to make them more permeable to foreign substances.”

Tanner was the category winner at SC INBRE’s Science Symposium 2018 student poster competition. Click here to read Tanner’s winning abstract.