CRISPR-Cas9

CRISPR-Cas9

CRISPR-Cas9 system is a plant breeding technology that utilizes the site-directed nucleases to choose and alter DNA with significant precision. The technology has received a lot of attention in recent years of study following its development in 2012. CRISPR-Cas9 system is currently applied in various fields which include biological research, breeding and development of agricultural plants along with animal and human research to offer greater insight into the growth and development of crops and animals. CRISPR act as an integral part of the bacterial defence where it protects the plants from the bacterial attack. Moreover, CRISPR molecule is habitually made up of tiny palindromic DNA series that are replicated along the molecule and are frequently spaced. The palindromic DNA series in the CRISPR molecules are usually strange DNA series from the organism that have formerly attacked the bacteria.

CRISPR processes

The CRISPR technology protects the bacteria in a plant from continuous virus attacks through three distinct processes which entail adaptation, production of CRISPR RNA along with targeting. Adaptation involves the processing of the viral DNA into short segments where it is made into fresh spacer amidst the repeats in the CRISPR molecules. The processing of the viral DNA by CRISPR technology consequently assist in the protection of plant-bacteria from the viral attack. Likewise, production of CRISPR RNA is the process which entails the transcription of CRISPR series to establish a single-stranded RNA which constitute of copies of invading viral DNA series in its spacers. Targeting, on the other hand, is the process where CRISPR RNAs locate viral DNA and direct the CRISPR-linked proteins to the viral DNA where they will split and damage the targeted viral materials.

Latest science

The latest CRISPR science is CRISPR-Cas9. The technology has generated a lot of excitement in the scientific community due to its faster, cheaper and more precise techniques in adding the genetic materials in the genome. CRISPR-Cas9 system is essential in the process of development of improved crops because it helps in recognition of specific DNA series in plants. The system also allows researchers to perform gene knock out and gene knock-down. Furthermore, it is different from other genome editing technologies due to is faster and more precise processes in gene recognition.

Difference between gene knock-out and knock-down

Gene knock- out involve gene silencing using CRISPR technology. It normally starts with the use of single guide RNA to target genes and commence double-stranded breaks by utilizing the Cas9 endonuclease. Subsequently, the breaks are repaired by the natural DNA repair processes, NHEJ. Gene knock-out is usually achieved by using conventional recombination. Gene know down on the other side is the processes of deactivating or suppressing genes instead of deleting the genes. It typically implies that the gene was formerly functional before being deactivated. It also includes activities like gene silencing, conditional gene knock-out together with gene editing. Gene knock-down can either be complete or partial, and it assists in providing flexibility in understanding the role of genes in the biology of an organism.