⚙️ how

How does CRISPR edit DNA?

Human BiologyGenetics

Quick Answer

CRISPR uses a guide molecule to find a matching DNA sequence, then a cutting enzyme makes a precise break. The cell’s repair process is then used to alter the gene.

The Full Story

CRISPR technology was adapted from a natural bacterial defense system. In the best-known version, a guide RNA leads the Cas9 enzyme to a matching DNA sequence, where Cas9 cuts the DNA. When the cell repairs that cut, scientists can disrupt a gene or insert new genetic information. Since the early 2010s, CRISPR has become a major tool in biology and medicine because it is simpler and more flexible than older gene-editing methods.

Key Facts

1.CRISPR was adapted from a bacterial immune system
2.Guide RNA helps direct Cas9 to a target DNA sequence
3.The cell’s DNA repair process creates the edit

YouTube Angle

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"The gene-editing tool that can cut DNA in the right spot."