Dieter Egli, a biologist at Columbia University whose main goal is to better understand the differences in DNA duplication between cell types, how these differences affect genetic stability, and how certain differences affect people’s functional relevance. CRISPR-Cas9, a powerful gene-editing tool, can have serious side effects in human embryonic cells. In some cases, the consequences of these errors can be quite severe, prompting them to discard large chunks of their genetic material. 

CRISPR-Cas9 is an innovative technology that allows researchers to edit parts of genes by removing, adding, or changing sections of the DNA sequence. It is a faster, cheaper, and more accurate DNA editing technique than others such as genome editing. These techniques enable researchers to investigate the function of the gene. Researchers can use these systems to permanently modify genes in living cells and organisms, and in the future, they may be able to correct mutations at specific locations in the genetic code to treat genetic causes of disease such as blindness

DNA Repair-colourfriendly

Adapted to be accessible to those with red-green colorblindness, this image depicts DNA repair after a CRISPR-Cas9 double-strand break.

CRISPR-Cas9 embryos and other kinds of human cells have already demonstrated that editing chromosomes can cause unwanted effects. This can be in relation to the unpredictability of the repair due to the fact of different cells react differently to gene editing. Another possibility for the CRISPR-Cas9 treatment not working efficiently is a change made to sperm, eggs, or embryos that can be passed down to future generations, raising the stakes for any mistakes made along the way. An example of this would be CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing on early-stage human embryos with a mutation in the gene called eyes shut homolog, which causes hereditary blindness.

CRISPR–Cas9 efficiently edits the genome in a variety of cell types and whole organisms, repairing genetic mutations, removing pathogenic DNA sequences, and turning genes on or off in Gene Regulation, where the appropriate gene is expressed to help an organism respond to its environment.