Broken String Biosciences has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Genome Editing Consortium, as the company continues to push for standardised safety frameworks across the gene editing field.

The company, which operates in both Boston and Cambridge (UK), is known for its INDUCE-seq platform – a PCR-free, high-resolution tool designed to detect double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs) with high sensitivity and accuracy. INDUCE-seq is already commercially deployed and is aimed at reducing the risks associated with off-target effects during gene editing.

By rejoining the NIST Genome Editing Consortium, Broken String is doubling down on efforts to help shape safety protocols for cutting-edge therapeutic modalities including CRISPR, base editing, and prime editing. The company also works closely with regulators and collaborators to promote the adoption of robust testing frameworks that could improve outcomes and confidence in gene therapies.

“Gene editing holds enormous promise, but without standardized tools to assess both on- and off-target edits, developers will continue to face challenges in demonstrating safety to regulators and the public,” said Felix Dobbs, CEO and co-founder of Broken String. “Our ongoing collaboration with NIST and leading industry partners such as AstraZeneca and Novartis underscores the urgency of our work. We believe that implementing INDUCE-seq early in the development process can significantly reduce the risk of costly regulatory holds and adverse effects, protecting both patient safety and business investment. This is how we help realize the full potential of life-changing gene therapies.”

The NIST consortium aims to generate high-quality reference data to support regulatory, academic, and commercial research. Broken String believes this collaboration will further validate the strengths of its INDUCE-seq platform, particularly its reproducibility, robustness, and ability to detect low-frequency off-target edits across the genome.

Beyond NIST, Broken String is also actively involved in the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute’s CT-TRACS Committee. This initiative brings together 30 organisations, including large pharmaceutical companies, to tackle some of the biggest technical and safety hurdles in the cell and gene therapy space.

The company maintains that INDUCE-seq represents a vital tool in de-risking gene editing development, with the potential to shorten development timelines, reduce regulatory burdens, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.