The CRISPR bacteria connection

Heard the word "CRISPR" mentioned in genetics-related stories recently? Do you know how it was developed? This new article from Genetics Home Reference explains the bacteria connection!

"CRISPR-Cas9 was adapted from a naturally occurring genome editing system in bacteria. The bacteria capture snippets of DNA from invading viruses and use them to create DNA segments known as CRISPR arrays. The CRISPR arrays allow the bacteria to "remember" the viruses (or closely related ones). If the viruses attack again, the bacteria produce RNA segments from the CRISPR arrays to target the viruses' DNA. The bacteria then use Cas9 or a similar enzyme to cut the DNA apart, which disables the virus."

Genetics Home Reference from the National Library of Medicine is useful resource to learn about how genes and health are connected.


Websites Referenced
https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/genomicresearch/genomeediting
https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/