CleanFinder: a scalable framework for comprehensive genome editing analysis.
Ramachandran H,Dobner J,Nguyen T,Binder S,Tolle I,Vykhlyantseva I,Krutmann J,Miccio A,Staerk C,Brusson M,Kontarakis Z,Prigione A,Rossi A
Source :
2026 Mai 22
Pmid / DOI:
42173700
Abstract
Genome editing often generates complex mixtures of alleles rather than single, predefined outcomes. Resolving these heterogeneous edits across diverse editing modalities, sequencing platforms, and multiplexed designs remains a persistent analytical challenge. To address this, we developed CleanFinder, a browser-native framework for genotyping genome editing outcomes using a constrained semi-global alignment strategy. Context-aware alignment modes support a broad spectrum of editing scenarios, including indels, base substitutions, and complex prime editing modifications across nuclear and mitochondrial targets. Additional modules include an optional turbo mode for high-throughput heuristic alignment in exploratory workflows and an allele-aware module that leverages heterozygous single-nucleotide polymorphisms to detect allelic dropout. To evaluate scalability and practical performance, we applied CleanFinder to a primary small-molecule screen of 1849 compounds in HEK293T cells. The software efficiently processed the dataset, enabling high-throughput comparison of editing outcomes and nomination of candidate compounds for follow-up analysis. Together, CleanFinder provides a flexible and scalable platform for genome editing analysis, enabling detailed genotyping and systematic comparison of editing outcomes across diverse edit types and genomic contexts.KEYWORDSCRISPR/Cas, CleanFinder, genome editing analysis, genotyping, long-read sequencing, prime editingCopyright © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.