Watchmaker Genomics Licenses CRISPR-Cas9 Intellectual Property from Caribou Biosciences to Increase Throughput and Reduce Sequencing Cost per Sample

Watchmaker Genomics, an innovator in high-performance solutions for next-generation sequencing (NGS), today announced a non-exclusive license with Caribou Biosciences, Inc., a leading clinical-stage CRISPR genome-editing biopharmaceutical company, for certain foundational CRISPR-Cas9 intellectual property for use in NGS library preparation. While CRISPR-Cas9 technologies are most commonly associated with their unique ability to find and cut for genome editing, Watchmaker is leveraging it in a fundamentally different way: as a programmable, stoichiometric binding tool to address one of the most persistent and under-optimized steps in NGS workflows – library normalization.

“Normalization has quietly become a bottleneck as sequencing throughput has scaled,” said Brian Kudlow, CSO and Founderat Watchmaker Genomics. “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.”

Applying CRISPR-Cas9 Beyond Editing

Traditional normalization relies on discrete quantification and dilution steps that add time, introduce variability, and translate poorly to high-throughput automation due to required manual interventions. This novel, CRISPR-Cas9-enabled approach uses adapter-specific guides to bind sequencing-ready libraries in a controlled manner, enabling standardization of library inputs without extensive quantification.

Because the process is non-destructive, library integrity and complexity are preserved, 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,” added Brian. “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.”

Implications for PCR-Free Whole Genome Sequencing

Watchmaker is further adapting this CRISPR-Cas9-enabled strategy as a core component of a complete PCR-free whole genome sequencing (WGS) solution, designed to simplify operations, reduce DNA input requirements, and improve sequencing efficiency for large-scale population studies, newborn screening, and rare disease applications.

This license, combined with Watchmaker’s recently issued patent for the approach, reinforces Watchmaker’s commitment to developing technologies that simplify and strengthen sequencing workflows from sample to results. As sequencing continues to scale across research and translational applications, such workflow-level innovations will play an increasingly central role in improving efficiency, data quality, and accessibility for the clinic.

About Watchmaker Genomics

Watchmaker Genomics is a life sciences company focused on developing high-performance tools that empower genomic research and clinical applications. Leveraging expertise in protein engineering and next-generation sequencing, Watchmaker delivers precision reagents and platforms that enable superior accuracy, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness in molecular analysis. The company is dedicated to advancing breakthrough technologies to support innovations in cancer detection, epigenetics, and liquid biopsy applications.

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