BIOL 106 – October 5
Genetics III
CRISPR: gene editing technology
Gene Technologies
- Recombinant DNA
- Using recombinant DNA to create a chimeric gene which makes a protein link to the
green fluorescent protein
- Polymerase Chain Reaction – amplify DNA
For basic research, it would be great to:
- Precisely disable specific genes (what do they do)
- Modify genes (remove/change) specific regions of the protein
- Create analogous mutations of a human genetic disorder in a fly or mouse
Genetic engineering in agriculture:
- To make a crop plant more drought tolerant
- To make plants produce more vitamins
- To make plants that capture more carbon
For human medicine:
- Repair a genetic disorder
- Regenerative medicine, beyond donor transplant
Until recently, precise DNA editing was impossible or very difficult
- Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Dounda: 2020 Nobel prize
o“For the development of a method for genomic cloning”
What is CRISPR
- Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats
- Used in Prof. Shakes research and “first in human trials”
- First identified in E. Coli
- Palindrome: same forwards and backwards
- Bacterial “Immune system” – CRISPR array
- 23-47 bp palindromic sequence
oColored spacers viral derived
oPlus, genes for the Cas protein
- CRISPR serves as an adaptive immune system for bacteria
oIf infected by a virus, the bacteria save a viral DNA fragment in its CRISPR locus
(spacer). Will use to slice up the viral DNA in a subsequent attack
Using CRISPR for Gene Editing
- Plug-and-play for CRISPR engineering
