Life sciences · Reference
What is CRISPR?
CRISPR is a genome-editing technology, adapted from a bacterial immune system, that lets researchers make precise, targeted changes to DNA using a guide RNA and a cutting enzyme such as Cas9.
How CRISPR works
In the widely used CRISPR-Cas9 system, a short, custom-designed guide RNA is programmed to match a chosen DNA target. The guide RNA pairs with the Cas9 protein, which scans the genome until it finds the matching sequence and then cuts both strands of the DNA at that point. The cell’s own repair machinery then mends the break — and researchers can exploit this repair to disable a gene or to insert a new sequence, depending on how the experiment is designed.
A bacterial immune system
CRISPR stands for "clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats", segments of DNA that bacteria use as part of an adaptive immune system. Bacteria store fragments of viral DNA from past infections and use them, with Cas (CRISPR-associated) enzymes, to recognise and cut the DNA of returning viruses.
Researchers recognised that this natural targeting-and-cutting mechanism could be reprogrammed with a synthetic guide RNA to edit virtually any DNA sequence, turning a microbial defence into a general-purpose laboratory tool.
Discovery and the Nobel Prize
In 2012, Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, with colleagues including Martin Jinek, demonstrated in the journal Science that CRISPR-Cas9 could be directed by a programmable guide RNA to cut DNA at chosen sites — the key step that made it a versatile editing tool. Doudna and Charpentier were awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing this method of genome editing.
Research use and ethics
CRISPR is used across the life sciences to study gene function, build model organisms, and develop agricultural and biotechnology applications. Edits to non-reproductive (somatic) cells affect only the treated individual, whereas changes to reproductive (germline) cells could be inherited — an area subject to serious ethical debate and regulation. This page describes the science and research uses of CRISPR and does not offer medical guidance.
Key facts
At a glance
- Full name: clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats
- Common system: CRISPR-Cas9
- Origin: bacterial adaptive immune system
- Targeting: a programmable guide RNA
- Key 2012 paper: Jinek, Doudna, Charpentier et al. (Science)
- Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Doudna & Charpentier, 2020
Common questions
FAQ
What does CRISPR do?+
CRISPR lets researchers make targeted changes to DNA. A guide RNA directs a cutting enzyme such as Cas9 to a specific sequence, where it cuts the DNA so a gene can be disabled, corrected, or have new sequence inserted as the cell repairs the break.
Who invented CRISPR gene editing?+
Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, with colleagues, showed in 2012 that CRISPR-Cas9 could be programmed to edit DNA. They received the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for this work.
Where does CRISPR come from?+
CRISPR is adapted from a natural defence system in bacteria, which use CRISPR sequences and Cas enzymes to recognise and cut the DNA of invading viruses.
The step most authors miss
Doing CRediT right? Don’t stop at the statement.
A CRediT statement credits you inside one paper. The recognition CRediT was built for happens when those roles are tied to you, persistently. Sign in with your ORCID — free — and claim your CRediT contributions on casrai.org, the home of the standard. They become a verified, portable part of your identity, not a line that disappears into one PDF.
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