Enzymology and Molecular Biology

Introduction to the CRISPR/Cas9 system and Genome Editing

 Although recently developed programmable editing tools, such as zinc finger nucleases and transcription activator-like effector nucleases, have significantly improved the capacity for precise genome modification, these techniques have limitations. CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)/Cas9 technology represents a significant improvement over these other next-generation genome editing tools, reaching a new level of targeting, efficiency, and ease of use. The CRISPR/Cas9 system allows for site-specific genomic targeting in virtually any organism.

Genome editing is a way of making specific changes to the DNA of a cell or organism. An enzyme cutsthe  DNA at a specific sequence, and when this is repaired by the cell a change or 'edit' is made to the sequence