Dr Fatwa Adikusuma

Externally-Funded Research Fellow (B)

School of Biomedicine

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Dr. Fatwa Adikusuma is a molecular biologist and genome engineer dedicated to transforming the treatment of genetic diseases through precise and effective CRISPR-based therapies. His research focuses on harnessing and refining gene editing technologies to correct mutations that cause severe inherited conditions. Dr. Adikusuma’s work aims to uncover the mechanisms that influence CRISPR efficiency and precision, and to translate these advances into therapies for diseases such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), Retinitis Pigmentosa, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and Cystic Fibrosis. By developing innovative strategies for gene correction, his team strives to restore health and improve quality of life for patients. He leads the Gene Editing Technology and Therapeutics Laboratory at the University of Adelaide and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI). His research is supported by an NHMRC Emerging Leadership Investigator Grant, and he currently holds an ARC DECRA Fellowship. He was previously awarded a CSIRO Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform Fellowship (2018–2021). Dr. Adikusuma’s contributions have been recognised with multiple Researcher Awards, highlighting his leadership in CRISPR innovation. Beyond academia, he co-founded Gene Editing Therapeutics (GETx), a biotechnology company focused on translating CRISPR research into clinical solutions. The discoveries from Dr. Adikusuma’s team are paving the way for a new generation of genetic medicines, with applications in treating previously incurable diseases, advancing genome engineering technologies, and shaping the future of precision medicine.

My Research
Career
Publications
Grants and Funding
Teaching
Supervision
Contact

My research program is focused on developing CRISPR genome editing technology particularly for its use in mammalian cells and in mice. I explore CRISPR strategies that promote predictable and efficient DNA editing outcomes. For example, I invented the strategies to eliminate an entire chromosome using CRISPR genome editing (Adikusuma et al Molecular Therapy 2017). I also discovered an easy way to generate precise gene-edited mouse embryos using the Nuclease Prime Editor. My research also studies how we can efficiently and effectively create genomic mutations using CRISPR technology and develop the CRISPR tools (constructs) to achieve the goal. Additionally, I study the repair outcomes (mutations) generated after DNA breaks induced by CRISPR endonuclease. For example, we found that CRISPR-Cas9 cleavage often induces large deletions (Adikusuma et al Nature 2018). The main goal of my research is to create knowledge and technology on genome editing that is widely used for vast applications such as basic research and therapeutics. My research projects also focus on developing highly effective CRISPR therapy for genetic diseases such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), Retinitis Pigmentosa, and Cystic Fibrosis. We use mammalian cells and animal preclinical models to test our CRISPR techniques in order to find the perfect formula that can effectively cure genetic diseases. Ultimately, the research is expected to develop CRISPR therapies for use in humans to provide treatments for patients.

Appointments

Date	Position	Institution name
2025 - ongoing	Group Leader	University of Adelaide
2018 - 2025	Research Fellow	University of Adelaide, Adelaide
2017 - 2018	Postdoctoral Researcher	University of Adelaide, Adelaide

Awards and Achievements

Date	Type	Title	Institution Name	Country	Amount
2024	Research Award	Faculty Early Grant Award	University of Adelaide, Faculty of Health and Medical Science	Australia	$25,000
2023	Award	ARC DECRA 2023 (Discovery Early Career Research Award)	Australian Research Council (ARC)	Australia	-
2022	Award	SAHMRI 2022 Early Career Researcher Award	South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute	Australia	-
2022	Award	2022 Faculty Emerging Leader Development Award	University of Adelaide, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences	Australia	-
2022	Award	Early Career Researcher Executive Dean Award (2022)	Faculty of Health and Medical Science	Australia	-
2021	Award	Faculty Emerging Leader Development Award	Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Adelaide	Australia	-
2018	Award	Early Career Researcher Award	SAHMRI	Australia	-
2018	Fellowship	CSIRO SynBio Fellowship	CSIRO, University of Adelaide and SAHMRI	Australia	-

Education

Date Institution name Country Title

University of Adelaide, Adelaide Australia PhD (awarded in Jan 2018)
Research Interests

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Gene and Molecular Therapy

Date	Institution name	Country	Title
	University of Adelaide, Adelaide	Australia	PhD (awarded in Jan 2018)

Journals

Year	Citation
2025	Arthurs, A. L., Dietrich, B., Knöfler, M., Lushington, C. J., Thomas, P. Q., Adikusuma, F., . . . Roberts, C. T. (2025). Genetically edited human placental organoids cast new light on the role of ACE2. Cell Death and Disease, 16(1), 78-1-78-12. DOI Scopus1
2025	Chey, Y. C. J., Gierus, L., Lushington, C., Arudkumar, J. C., B. Geiger, A., Staker, L. G., . . . Thomas, P. Q. (2025). Optimal SpCas9- and SaCas9-mediated gene editing by enhancing gRNA transcript levels through scaffold poly-T tract reduction. BMC Genomics, 26(1), 138-1-138-12. DOI Scopus4 WoS3 Europe PMC4
2024	Chey, Y. C. J., Corbett, M. A., Arudkumar, J., Piltz, S. G., Thomas, P. Q., & Adikusuma, F. (2024). CRISPR-mediated megabase-scale transgene de-duplication to generate a functional single-copy full-length humanized DMD mouse model.. BMC Biology, 22(1), 214-1-214-15. DOI Scopus3 WoS1 Europe PMC1
2023	Chey, Y. C. J., Arudkumar, J., Aartsma‐Rus, A., Adikusuma, F., & Thomas, P. Q. (2023). CRISPR applications for Duchenne muscular dystrophy: From animal models to potential therapies. WIREs Mechanisms of Disease, 15(1), e1580-1-e1580-26. DOI Scopus14 WoS11 Europe PMC15
2022	Burbano, L. E., Li, M., Jancovski, N., Jafar-Nejad, P., Richards, K., Sedo, A., . . . Petrou, S. (2022). Antisense oligonucleotide therapy for KCNT1 encephalopathy. JCI insight, 7(23), 1-20. DOI Scopus34 WoS34 Europe PMC42
2021	Adikusuma, F., Lushington, C., Arudkumar, J., Godahewa, G. I., Chey, Y. C. J., Gierus, L., . . . Thomas, P. Q. (2021). Optimized nickase- and nuclease-based prime editing in human and mouse cells. Nucleic Acids Research, 49(18), 10785-10795. DOI Scopus62 WoS60 Europe PMC49
2021	Thomson, E., Dawson, R., H'ng, C. H., Adikusuma, F., Piltz, S., & Thomas, P. Q. (2021). The Nestin neural enhancer is essential for normal levels of endogenous Nestin in neuroprogenitors but is not required for embryo development. PLoS One, 16(11), e0258538-1-e0258538-16. DOI Scopus2 WoS4 Europe PMC2
2020	Pfitzner, C., White, M. A., Piltz, S. G., Scherer, M., Adikusuma, F., Hughes, J. N., & Thomas, P. Q. (2020). Progress Toward Zygotic and Germline Gene Drives in Mice.. CRISPR J, 3(5), 388-397. DOI Scopus24 WoS21 Europe PMC24
2019	Prowse, T. A., Adikusuma, F., Cassey, P., Thomas, P., & Ross, J. V. (2019). A Y-chromosome shredding gene drive for controlling pest vertebrate populations. eLife, 8, e41873-1-e41873-19. DOI Scopus35 WoS32 Europe PMC28
2018	Robertson, L., Pederick, D., Piltz, S., White, M., Nieto, A., Ahladas, M., . . . Thomas, P. Q. (2018). Expanding the RNA-Guided Endonuclease Toolkit for Mouse Genome Editing.. The CRISPR journal, 1(6), 431-439. DOI WoS5 Europe PMC4
2018	Adikusuma, F., Piltz, S., Corbett, M. A., Turvey, M., McColl, S. R., Helbig, K. J., . . . Thomas, P. Q. (2018). Large deletions induced by Cas9 cleavage. Nature, 560(7717), E8-E9. DOI Scopus270 WoS267 Europe PMC256
2017	Adikusuma, F., Pederick, D., McAninch, D., Hughes, J., & Thomas, P. (2017). Functional equivalence of the SOX2 and SOX3 transcription factors in the developing mouse brain and testes. Genetics, 206(3), 1495-1503. DOI Scopus20 WoS19 Europe PMC19
2017	Adikusuma, F., Williams, N., Grutzner, F., Hughes, J., & Thomas, P. (2017). Targeted Deletion of an Entire Chromosome Using CRISPR/Cas9. Molecular Therapy, 25(8), 1736-1738. DOI Scopus69 WoS70 Europe PMC65
2017	Van Der Hoek, K., Eyre, N., Shue, B., Khantisitthiporn, O., Glab-Ampi, K., Carr, J., . . . Beard, M. (2017). Viperin is an important host restriction factor in control of Zika virus infection. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 4475 -1-4475-14. DOI Scopus96 WoS94 Europe PMC79
2017	Adikusuma, F., Pfitzner, C., & Thomas, P. (2017). Versatile single-step-assembly CRISPR/Cas9 vectors for dual gRNA expression. PloS one, 12(12), 1-11. DOI Scopus40 WoS38 Europe PMC55
2014	Piltz, S., Adikusuma, F., Hughes, J., & Thomas, P. (2014). Rapid generation of mutant mice using CRISPR-mediated genome editing (tips and tricks). TRANSGENIC RESEARCH, 23(5), 867.
-	Arudkumar, J., Chey, Y. C. J., Piltz, S. G., Thomas, P. Q., & Adikusuma, F. (2024). CRISPR-mediated generation and comprehensive phenotyping of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy mouse models. BMC Methods, 1(1). DOI

Conference Items

Year	Citation
2020	Pfitzner, C., Prowse, T., Adikusuma, F., Piltz, S., Cassey, P., Ross, J., & Thomas, P. (2020). Safe development of CRISPR gene drives for invasive rodent population suppression. Poster session presented at the meeting of TRANSGENIC RESEARCH. SPRINGER.
2014	Piltz, S. G. (2014). Rapid generation of mutant mice using CRISPR mediated genome editing (tips and tricks). Poster session presented at the meeting of Transgenic Research. Ediburgh, UK: Springer.

Patents

Year	Citation
2025	Geiger, A., Thomas, P., & Adikusuma, F. (2025). 2023326046, AGENT FOR TREATING OR PREVENTING A DOMINANTLY-INHERITED DISEASE. Australia.
2024	Geiger, A., Thomas, P., Adikusuma, F., & Staker, L. (2024). 2024902054, AGENT FOR TREATING OR PREVENTING A GENETIC DISEASE. Australia.

Preprint

Year	Citation
2024	Chey, Y., Corbett, M., Arudkumar, J., Piltz, S., Thomas, P., & Adikusuma, F. (2024). Megabase-Scale Transgene De-Duplication to Generate a Functional Single-Copy Full-Length Human DMD Transgenic Mouse Model. DOI
2024	Arthurs, A., Dietrich, B., Knöfler, M., Lushington, C., Thomas, P., Adikusuma, F., . . . Roberts, C. (2024). Genetically edited human placental organoids cast new light on the role of ACE2 in placental development. DOI
2024	Chey, Y., Gierus, L., Lushington, C., Arudkumar, J., Geiger, A., Staker, L., . . . Adikusuma, F. (2024). Enhancing gRNA Transcript levels by Reducing the Scaffold Poly-T Tract for Optimal SpCas9- and SaCas9-mediated Gene Editing. DOI
2024	Arudkumar, J., Chey, Y. C. J., Piltz, S. G., Thomas, P. Q., & Adikusuma, F. (2024). Generation and characterisation of mouse models of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). DOI
2021	Adikusuma, F., Lushington, C., Arudkumar, J., Godahewa, G., Chey, Y. C. J., Gierus, L., . . . Thomas, P. (2021). Optimized nickase- and nuclease-based prime editing in human and mouse cells. DOI

NHMRC EL2 Investigator Grant (2026-2030): $1,623,700
Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Early Researcher Career Award (DECRA, 2023-2025): $458,238
CSIRO Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform Fellowship (2018-2021): $489,768
2022 University of Adelaide, Faculty of Health & Medical Science Emerging Leaders Development (FHMS ELD) Award ($38,974).
2021 University of Adelaide, Faculty of Health & Medical Science Emerging Leaders Development (FHMS ELD) Award ($39,800).

- Advanced Research Platforms, Masters of Biotechnology

Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

Date	Role	Research Topic	Program	Degree Type	Student Load	Student Name
2023	Co-Supervisor	Designing novel, mutant-specific Prime Editing therapeutic strategies towards treating autosomal dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa	Doctor of Philosophy	Doctorate	Full Time	Mr Lachlan Graham Staker
2023	Co-Supervisor	Reincarnating the Retina: A Cutting-Edge Mutant Independent CRISPR Therapy for Genetic Eye Disease	Doctor of Philosophy	Doctorate	Full Time	Miss Jesse Georgina Kennedy
2021	Principal Supervisor	Improving Disease Therapy with the Application of Prime Editing	Doctor of Philosophy	Doctorate	Full Time	Mr Caleb James Lushington
2020	Principal Supervisor	Development of a highly efficient CRISPR-Cas9 gene therapy strategy for precise restoration of dystrophin in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)	Doctor of Philosophy	Doctorate	Full Time	Mr Jayshen Christa Arudkumar

Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

Date	Role	Research Topic	Program	Degree Type	Student Load	Student Name
2021 - 2025	Co-Supervisor	Development of novel CRISPR/Cas9 therapies for genetic eye disease	Doctor of Philosophy	Doctorate	Full Time	Dr Ashleigh Geiger
2020 - 2024	Co-Supervisor	Development of CRISPR Therapies Targeting DMD Exon 51 for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy	Doctor of Philosophy	Doctorate	Full Time	Dr Yu Chinn Joshua Chey

Position: Externally-Funded Research Fellow (B)
Email: fatwa.adikusuma@adelaide.edu.au
Org Unit: Medical Sciences

Dr Fatwa Adikusuma

Appointments

Awards and Achievements

Education

Research Interests