When was crispr cas9 invented
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The Invention of CRISPR-Cas9: A Revolutionary Gene Editing Technology
Discovery and Early Development of CRISPR Systems
The CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) system was first identified in bacteria and archaea in 1987. It functions as an adaptive immune response, defending against invading bacteriophages and plasmids4 9. The initial discovery involved an unusual repetitive DNA sequence in the Escherichia coli genome, which was later defined as CRISPR4.
Transition to Gene Editing Technology
The transformation of CRISPR from a bacterial immune mechanism to a gene editing tool began in earnest in 2012. Researchers recognized the potential of CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas) to be repurposed for targeted genome editing in eukaryotic cells3 7. This breakthrough was pivotal in the development of the CRISPR-Cas9 system, which utilizes the Cas9 nuclease guided by RNA to create site-specific double-strand breaks in DNA7 9.
CRISPR-Cas9: The Game Changer in 2013
The CRISPR-Cas9 system, specifically, was developed as a gene editing technology in 2013. This system, which is derived from the type II CRISPR-Cas system, quickly gained attention due to its simplicity, efficiency, and versatility in editing genetic material across various organisms, including plants and mammals1 2 6. The ability to design single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) to target specific DNA sequences made CRISPR-Cas9 a powerful and user-friendly tool for genetic manipulation6 8.
Applications and Impact
Since its development, CRISPR-Cas9 has revolutionized numerous fields of biology and medicine. It has been applied in gene therapy to correct mutations in monogenic disorders, engineer pathogen genomes, and induce therapeutic mutations in host tissues2 8. In agriculture, CRISPR-Cas9 has been used to improve crop genomes, enhancing traits such as disease resistance and yield1 6. The technology's impact extends to cancer research, where it is used to deactivate oncogenic viruses and induce tumor suppressor genes5.
Conclusion
The invention of CRISPR-Cas9 in 2013 marked a significant milestone in the field of genetic engineering. Originating from a bacterial immune system discovered in 1987, CRISPR-Cas9 has become an indispensable tool for precise and efficient genome editing. Its applications span across various domains, from medical therapeutics to agricultural improvements, underscoring its transformative potential in science and biotechnology.
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