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| Crystal structure of Streptococcus thermophilus Cas9 in complex with AGGA PAM. Source: RCSB PDB |
Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats or CRISPR is a new-generation gene editing system. This technique was adapted from the self-defensive mechanism of the bacteria. CRISPR is a repetitive DNA sequence that was observed in bacteria between the spacer DNA sequences which exactly match with viral sequences. On its discovery, it was observed that the bacteria can transcribe DNA to RNA during a viral infection.
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CRISPR technology allows scientists to make precise changes to an organism’s DNA by targeting specific genes. It consists of two main components: the Cas9 protein and a guide RNA (gRNA). The gRNA is designed to match the target DNA sequence, guiding the Cas9 protein to the desired location. Once there, Cas9 cuts the DNA, enabling researchers to either disable, modify, or replace the targeted gene.
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The base of CRISPR is very simple. It is the process of identification and selection of a specific piece/sequence of a DNA strand. Then the selected sequence is altered. When the target DNA was identified CRISPR system contains an enzyme called Cas-9 that binds to the DNA and makes a cut leading to the shutting down of the target gene.
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CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system is proven as it is efficient. It does not require getting paired with other cleaving enzymes to cut the DNA as it could be done by itself. It also has the ability to target multiple genes.
This powerful tool has major applications in the field of treatment of genetic diseases, agriculture, medical research, and more.
References: jax.org, broadinstitute.org
Graduated from the University of Kerala with B.Sc. Botany and Biotechnology. M.Sc. Biotechnology from the University of Kerala. Attended certificate course in Artificial Intelligence for Everyone from Deeplearning.AI, Influenza Prevention and Control from World Health Organization. Attended workshops related to Bioinformatics at the University of Kerala. 3 years of experience in website management. Experience in WordPress, Blogger, Google Analytics, and Google Search Console.
