Genome Editing in Diatoms Using CRISPR-Cas to Induce Precise Bi-allelic Deletions

Genome editing in diatoms has recently been established for the model species Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Thalassiosira pseudonana. The present protocol, although developed for T. pseudonana, can be modified to edit any diatom genome as we utilize the flexible, modular Golden Gate cloning system. The main steps include how to design a construct using Golden Gate cloning for targeting two sites, allowing a precise deletion to be introduced into the target gene. The transformation protocol is explained, as are the methods for screening using band shift assay and/or restriction site loss.