Why everyone is talking about CRISPR, the new genome editing tool

CRISPR, which stands for "clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats," are segments of prokaryotic DNA that contain brief repetitions of base sequences.

 

Scientists recently discovered that CRISPR can not only alter DNA, but RNA as well, a breakthrough with the potential to disrupt and destroy viruses before they cause serious health issues.

 

The CRISPR method could eventually make viruses self destruct by programming the bacterium to break down an essential part of its structure or telling a cancer cell to stop making vital proteins. The treatment method could be used for a wide variety of illnesses, some of which currently prove difficult to treat.

 

Scientists feel confident that further research will lead to the creation of programmable molecular tools for in vivo RNA manipulation.

 

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