CRISPR Gives Us Control of Our Genes

The discovery of CRISPR attracts interest from scientists Jennifer Doudna from the University of California and Emmanuelle Charpentier from the Umeå University in Sweden. They show how CRISPR can be customised to edit any gene. Bioengineer Feng Zhang from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US improves the technology, allowing scientists to make the edited gene join again in a way, in which a controlled change of the gene is carried out.

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CRISPR consists of guide RNA, a gene editor made of protein, and a DNA template. All three are injected into a target cell.

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The guide RNA consists of an RNA sequence, that is designed to be able to find and bind to the specific gene which scientists want to alter.

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The g`ene editor follows the guide RNA to the gene. The editor, which consists of the Cas9 enzyme, cuts the gene DNA sequence in two.