CRISPR-Cas9

- Biologists who study disease-causing mutations have sought techniques for gene editing–altering genes in a specific way​ - The powerful technique called CRISPR-Cas9 is transforming the field of genetic engineering​ - In bacteria, the protein Cas9 acts together with a guide RNA to help defend bacteria from viral infection​ - The Cas9 protein will cut any sequence to which it is targeted ​ - Scientists can introduce a Cas9–guide RNA complex into a cell they wish to alter​ - The guide RNA is engineered to target a gene​ - Can disable (or "knock out") genes to see what the gene does in an organism for studies - Can be used to find the causes of diseases - Can treat genetic diseases (introduce a normal copy of the gene to be corrected, allows for edits to the defective gene and corrections) - Biologists need to be cautious though, there may be unintended effects on other genes and also ethical dilemmas