CRISPR Gene Editing

Definition

A precise gene-editing technology (CRISPR-Cas9) that can cut DNA at a chosen location so that genes can be removed, corrected, or inserted, often called genetic "cut and paste".

Key points

• CRISPR stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats; it is adapted from a natural bacterial defence system against viruses.
• A guide RNA directs the Cas9 enzyme (molecular scissors) to a matching DNA sequence, where it makes a cut so the gene can be altered.
• Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing the method.
• Potential uses include correcting genetic diseases such as sickle-cell anaemia, improving crops, and research; the first approved CRISPR-based therapy targets sickle-cell disease (verify the latest approvals).
• It raises serious ethical concerns, especially editing human embryos (germline editing), which can pass changes to future generations; most countries restrict this.

Why it matters for CAPF

CRISPR-Cas9, the Cas9 "molecular scissors", the 2020 Nobel Prize, and the gene-editing ethics debate are high-frequency biotechnology current-affairs items.

Common confusion

CRISPR edits existing genes within an organism; it is not the same as recombinant DNA technology that inserts foreign genes by older methods, though both are genetic engineering. Editing body (somatic) cells affects only the individual, while editing germline (embryo) cells passes changes to descendants, which is the main ethical flashpoint.

Related concepts

concept dna and rna, concept genetically modified crops, concept stem cells

Parent note

biotechnology and genetics