Her Stem Space

The discovery of the CRISPR system and its capabilities was revolutionary; gene editing technology and modification resulted after extensive research of CRISPR. The discovery, its uses and research is accredited to Dr. Jennifer Doudna at UC Berkeley, and Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier at the Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens in Berlin. In October 2020, the two women received a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their groundbreaking work, and earned the title as the first two women in history to share this award without a male contributor.

Dr. Charpentier and Dr. Doudna asked the question: Could Cas9, the protein that cut DNA in the CRISPR system, be utilized in different gRNA sequences? Could the location of the cut be controlled? With these inquiries and the pursuit of their answers, the research of gene cutting technology was underway. Their research showed gene editing using CRISPR worked in a similar manner to that of prokaryotes. The DSB is created by Cas proteins, specifically Cas9. However, eukaryotes, such as humans, plants, and animals, possess DNA repair mechanisms, which can be utilized in gene editing. For instance, scientists use the body’s repair mechanism known as Homology Directed Repair (HDR) to insert new fragments, a technique known as ‘gene knock-in’. This discovery has the ability to correct gene mutations that cause human diseases, and a specific type of editing, known as prime editing, is predicted to be capable of treating 89% of genetic mutations in humans! On the other hand, ‘gene knock-out’ is also possible. As the name suggests, this technique takes advantage of the error-prone DNA repair mechanism, known as non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) to inhibit repair and delete certain regions of DNA, rendering the gene non-functional. Scientists use this in drug discovery and disease modeling.

Today, CRISPR editing technology has led to major advancements in cancer research and elimination. T cells, immune cells in the body used to fight off pathogens, like cancer, are engineered and re-injected into the patient to better target the invading cancer cells. Another fairly recent application is in COVID tests, where the viral particles, if present, are targeted using CRISPR technology. Instead of Cas9, however, a protein known as Cas12b is used, and is present in bacteria in orange juice as well!

The agriculture industry has been drastically impacted by CRISPR technology, creating the ability to modify and grow crops that are increasingly disease and drought resistant. It can be used to increase the shelf-life of perishable foods, reduce food waste, and increase accessibility to healthy foods at a lower cost. 

In the words of Dr. Doudna, “The power to control our species’ genetic future is awesome and terrifying. Deciding how to handle it may be the biggest challenge we have ever faced” (Synthego.com). Gene editing technology still has a long way to go, but with the ambition, drive, and efforts of people like Dr. Doudna, Dr. Charpentier, and the other researchers developing CRISPR editing technology, there is hope of achieving increasingly extraordinary feats in the near future.