Associate Director of Research Activities

Email: whitworthk@missouri.edu

Education:
B.S. Agriculture; Illinois State University
M.S. Animal Science; University of Missouri
Ph.D. Animal Science; University of Missouri

Research Focus:
Kristin’s PhD work focused on the transcriptional profiling in pig pre-implantation embryos and extraembryonic membranes and using histone deacetylase inhibitors such as Scriptaid and SAHA to improve cloning efficiencies. Kristin is now heavily focused on research efforts on using gene editing tools such as CRISPR/Cas9 to create disease resistant swine models.

Publications:
Whitworth KM, Rowland RR, Ewen CL, Trible BR, Kerrigan MA, Cino-Ozuna AG, Samuel MS, Lightner JE, McLaren DG, Mileham AJ, Wells KD, Prather RS. 2015. Gene-edited pigs are protected from porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus. Nat Biotechnol. Dec 7. doi: 10.1038/nbt.3434.

Whitworth KM, Mao J, Lee K, Spollen WG, Samuel MS, Walters EM, Spate LD, Prather RS. 2015. Transcriptome analysis of pig in vivo, in vitro fertilized and nuclear transfer blastocyst stage embryos treated with histone deacetylase inhibitors post-fusion and activation reveals changes in the lysosomal pathway. Cell Reprogram 17(4): 243-258.

Whitworth KM, Lee K, Benne JA, Beaton BP, Spate LD, Murphy SL, Samuel MS, Mao J, O’Gorman C, Walters EM, Murphy CN, Driver JP, Mileham A, McLaren D, Wells KD, Prather RS. 2014. Use of the CRISPR/Cas9 System to Produce Genetically Engineered Pigs from In Vitro-Derived Oocytes and Embryos. Biol Reprod. 10.1095/biolreprod.114.121723.

Whitworth KM, Zhao J, Spate LD, Li R, Prather RS. 2011. Scriptaid corrects gene expression of a few aberrantly reprogrammed transcripts in nuclear transfer pig blastocyst stage embryos. Cell Reprogram 13(3):191-204.

Whitworth KM, Prather RS. 2010. Somatic cell nuclear transfer efficiency: how can it be improved through nuclear remodeling and reprogramming? Mol Reprod Dev 77(12):1001-1015.

Whitworth KM, Spate LD, Li R, Rieke A, Sutovsky P, Green JA, Prather RS. 2010. Activation method does not alter abnormal placental gene expression and development in cloned pigs. Mol Reprod Dev 77(12):1016-1030.