By Sarah Bhattacharyya | Published on Oct 1, 2023
Have you ever been curious about the revolutionary technology that the world has to offer? A topic I find that has always piqued people’s interest (including my own) belongs in the field of genetic engineering. Let’s talk about CRISPR Cas9.
Now you might be wondering, what does it even mean? It's spelt like a super bizarre secret code. Even I thought it was a weird name when I first learned about it. However, it relates to an incredibly fascinating technology. This is a technology that scientists all across the globe have been using to basically rewrite the code of life on Earth.
CRISPR Cas9 is a gene editing technology that mainly acts as a cut-and-paste tool with DNA. It gained popularity because of its accurate and effective results, which other gene editing methods haven’t shown in the past. It is also inexpensive compared to other methods, while also being relatively simple. CRISPR Cas9 can edit the DNA of humans, animals, and even plants! CRISPR’s main use is for eliminating genetic diseases, however, scientists are still experimenting with different possibilities used by this technology (like cancer research).
Today, we will break down the complex understanding of CRISPR Cas9 so that even someone with very little knowledge of the science field will understand. You will be able to understand how it works, and the amazing uses of this technology. I hope you will also learn and appreciate how captivating biology, and the understanding of our genetics truly is!
CRISPR stands for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, while Cas9 is the enzyme that’s involved. Yes, it is truly a mouthful, hence why the founders gave us the name “CRISPR Cas9.” Anyway, since I am mainly explaining this in simpler terms, let’s get to the juicy parts.
DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) is like the foundation for all living things. Almost every living cell will have DNA inside that acts like an instruction manual. These instructions are uniquely developed/reproduced to create certain traits for living organisms. Some examples of what DNA inside humans can create are your hair, eyes, and skin colour. DNA is what makes us all unique. However, sometimes, things can go wrong in the instructions that can cause harm to the organism.
Whether it’s the cause of a hereditary disease or a mutation, CRISPR Cas9 was made so that it could edit out the harmful part of the DNA. Cas9 is the enzyme that is called, which is used in the technology. The enzyme is what accurately removes (or cuts) the part of the DNA that it’s programmed to. RNA (Ribonucleic acid) acts as a messenger for DNA to carry out its instructions, guiding the enzyme to a specific location. After the enzyme is at the location (usually the “problem” part of the DNA) it accurately cuts out that part of the DNA.
After it is removed, there are a couple of things that could happen. First, the DNA can naturally repair itself, which usually removes the problem area. The second possibility is that another gene is inserted into the area where it was cut.
This is where it gets really interesting because, with just these two steps, you can solve a whole number of biological issues that occur with organisms. Things like treating genetic diseases, and making agriculture stronger (by editing the plant cells to be more resistant to diseases). Scientists can even theoretically prevent a newborn baby from inheriting a hereditary disease (however, there are ethical and regulatory concerns involved with the change of DNA belonging to a fetus, and this act can have serious consequences).
Overall, this technology truly has the potential to reshape the field of science. From its affordability to the multiple possible uses, it offers us a sight of the bright future in healthcare. I hope this piques your interest and makes you stay curious so that you can learn more about the amazing technology that has been introduced in our world. Who knows, maybe someday you could be on the front lines of a scientific breakthrough!
Comments