The CRISPR gene isn’t something that everyone in the world knows about. So what is it? CRISPR stands for – clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats. This obviously still won’t help to make sense onto what this is. This gene is used in gene editing. Gene editing is used to make new DNA for any organism. According to the article, it helps with adding, removing, or altering genetic material. CRISPR is a new and more efficient way for gene editing. CRISPR has been used in bacteria when fighting against viruses. When the viruses attacks the first time, the bacteria captures the viruses DNA and creates CRISPR arrays which will then remember the virus the second time and fight it off. Researchers then use the CRISPR as RNA to cut off pieces of DNA with the help of the CAS-9 enzyme. Gene editing and the CRISPR gene help with treatment and help prevent diseases to spread in organisms.
According to this article, there are three ways for the CRISPR gene to work. It can disrupt the DNA sequencing. Then it can also delete a fragment of DNA. The last thing it can do is correct/insert. It can add new DNA or it can make edits to the DNA.
According to this article, the CRISPR gene might be able to be used in things beyond the gene editing world. It might be able to help with quick research and findings for things like cancer and other diseases. Feng Zhang is trying to spread this technology across the world so that they can use this new technology to help with things like this.
This also relates to what we are learning in class this year because we are also talking about gene expression and how it works. We learned about transcription and translation. Transcription is the synthesis of RNA with the use of DNA. Then Translation is the synthesis of the protein by the RNA. All of this ties to the gene editing with the CRISPR gene because the CRISPR gene is another wya that the DNA is edited/corrected. It is a much quicker and more efficient way that might be really helpful going forward.
Leave a Reply