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CRISPR

 

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) is a repeating sequence found in bacteria. When a bacteria fights off a virus, the virus’s genetic code is broken down and stored in CRISPR spaces in the bacteria’s genome. Upon a viral infection, an enzyme called Cas9 then chops the viral genome if it matches the sequence in the CRISPR spaces. 


By using artificial RNA in the CRISPR space, Cas9 can then be used to cut anything with the same code. CRISPR can thus be used to remove undesirable genes, and also harness repair enzymes to substitute desired genes into the space left by the snippers. 


Beyond the CRISPR/Cas9 system, other systems such as CRISPR/Cas13 have also been found. While Cas9 is used to edit DNA, Cas13 is found to edit RNA. 


The potential for CRISPR technology is endless. On a basic level, CRISPR can be used to remove genes coding for diseases and replace it with a normal gene. CRISPR can also be used to experiment on the different genes in animals and see the exact function of each gene. 


However, there are also many ethical concerns regarding this technology. One of it is the ethicality of creating designer babies. Furthermore, this technology can also be used to alter entire species of organisms. While this technology is promising, there are still many question marks as to the boundaries which scientists should be held to.


Sources:

https://www.livescience.com/58790-crispr-explained.html

https://www.vox.com/2018/7/23/17594864/crispr-cas9-gene-editing

https://www.newscientist.com/term/what-is-crispr/


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