CRISPR-Cas-based Genome Engineering and its Applications

Kumar, A; Yau, YY; Mukherjee, K.

Zusammenfassung

Genome engineering is immensely important because it can be used to modify, repair, delete or add a trait. Earlier approaches of genome engineering relied on the principle of site-specific recognition of DNA sequence, the site-directed zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) and TAL effector nucleases (TALENs) using the principles of DNA-protein recognition. CRISPR-Cas systems provide bacteria and archaea with adaptive immunity against viruses and plasmids by using CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs) to guide the silencing of invading nucleic acids. Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna have been awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work on CRISPR-Cas9—a method to edit DNA. The discovery of genome engineering using the bacterial RNA-guided CRISPR-Cas9 system in animals and plants is transforming biology and revolutionized life sciences. In just eight years, it has evolved from an interesting discovery to a powerful tool for laboratories around the world. A review of the discovery, mechanism and applications of CRISPR-Cas9 technology is presented