CRISPR: The Genetic Editing Technique That May Change life As We Know It

Hi Noah! What you have is good so far (there are just some minor grammatical errors for the most part) but there is not enough content here. Another student wrote about CRISPR and the post was much longer. Her focus was on the ethics and although it's fine that you mention the ethics, I would like you to provide more content about what diseases are currently being treated or have been treated w/ CRISPR as well as how else it's being used medically and in research. You need at least two more paragraphs. After making those edits (be sure there are no sentence fragments), you can publish.

Intro on CRISPR 

CRISPR is short for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat., which refers to the regions in bacteria genomes that assist in defending against viruses.CRISPR genomes are extremely important in the immune systems of bacteria and other microorganisms. CRISPR immune systems fight viruses by interpreting DNA from that virus (via spacers), then transcribing CRISPR RNA which is used to guide molecular machinery to fight the viruses. CRISPR is basically the ultimate virus-fighting machine. 

• MORE ON CRISPR

A Figure showing how the CRISPR immune system works. Source

The Importance of CRISPR

Even though CRISPR immune systems already are viral superheroes, there are many more incredible applications that CRISPRs can be used for in today's world. Scientists are utilizing CRISPR techniques to make genetic changes in organisms, even experimenting with human cells. They do this by inserting RNA molecules that match the DNA sequence of a specific cell. Then, similarly to when a virus attacks a cell, the RNA guides molecular machinery that can be used to change the sequence of a gene. 

There are many different applications of the CRISPR gene-editing technique. It can be used to help prevent certain viruses or pesticides from damaging food, but the most important application of this new technology is in medicine. Scientists can apply this technique to treat genetic diseases. Not only heritable diseases but infectious diseases too. The possibilities are endless. 

 This illustration shows the possibilities and challenges of this new technique. Source

CRISPR Concerns

Since it is a relatively new technology, there are very many concerns surrounding it. Some concerns include regulatory issues with crops, while others pertain to the general safety of this technique as there is still a lot more research to be done about it. However, the most talked-about issue regarding CRISPR technology is the ethical concerns. It is okay for scientists to edit sperm cells for embryos to create genetically engineered humans with “special” characteristics and how genetic modification of humans could affect future generations. In 2019, a scientist announced that two twin girls have been born with edited genomes. This caused public outrage and more debates over the ethics of gene editing. Despite the concerns, CRISPR techniques are still being researched and will be incredibly useful to the health of future generations. 

• CRISPR ETHICS

More on the Medical Side of CRISPR

When the CRISPR technique became public, researchers and scientists everywhere began to ponder as to the certain medical diseases that can be treated with the CRISPR techniques. With the global pandemic taking place, there have also been a scientist wondering if this can be a future quick fix to many viral diseases. In the article linked below, there is a description of the 8 possible diseases that could be cured with CRISPR treatments. While this is all still in the works, the article also explains what testing and research has been done to target each disease using this new technology. 

Scientists are also using CRISPR technology in many different medical fields. Some scientists are experimenting in creating an STD prevention genome using CRISPR technology. This is Targeted specifically towards an ongoing fight against HIV. Another use of this technology is to create resistance to malaria in foreign countries. Overall, the CRISPR techniques are amazing and will hopefully help us attack diseases and better human life. 

 

• Article on Diseases Treatable with CRISPR