CRISPhieRmix: a hierarchical mixture model for CRISPR pooled screens
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 4, 2026

Pooled CRISPR-Based Genetic Screens in Mammalian Cells
Published on: September 4, 2019
Timothy P Daley1,2, Zhixiang Lin3,4, Xueqiu Lin5
1Department of Statistics, Stanford University, 450 Serra Mall, Stanford, 94305, USA. tdaley@stanford.edu.
Abstract:
Pooled CRISPR screens allow researchers to interrogate genetic causes of complex phenotypes at the genome-wide scale and promise higher specificity and sensitivity compared to competing technologies. Unfortunately, two problems exist, particularly for CRISPRi/a screens: variability in guide efficiency and large rare off-target effects. We present a method, CRISPhieRmix, that resolves these issues by using a hierarchical mixture model with a broad-tailed null distribution. We show that CRISPhieRmix allows for more accurate and powerful inferences in large-scale pooled CRISPRi/a screens. We discuss key issues in the analysis and design of screens, particularly the number of guides needed for faithful full discovery.
Related Concept Videos
CRISPR
Mixtures of Acids
A Mixture of a Strong Acid and a Weak Acid
In a mixture of a strong acid and a weak acid, the strong acid dissociates completely and becomes a source of almost all the hydronium ions...
Mixtures of Acids
In a strong and weak acid mixture, the strong acid dissociates completely and becomes a source of almost all the hydronium ions present in the solution. In contrast, the weak acid shows...
CRISPR and crRNAs
The CRISPR-Cas system stores a copy of foreign DNA in the host genome and uses it to identify the foreign DNA upon reinfection. CRISPR-Cas has three different...
Racemic Mixtures and the Resolution of Enantiomers
Mixtures of Gases: Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures and Mole Fractions

