“Editing” genes in living cells: The CRISPR-Cas9 technique

These photos, provided by Oregon Health and Science University, show the development of embryos after being injected with CRISPR-Cas9, a gene-editing technology that successfully removed a genetic mutation known to cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The work, a scientific first led by researchers at OHSU, marks a step toward one day preventing babies from inheriting diseases that run in the family.

Sources: University of California, The Associated Press Kayla Robertson, The Denver Post