Gene editing can help mankind solve many problems, but it can potentially create a host of new ones. Which side of the fence will you sit on?

One of the most celebrated breakthroughs in gene editing was introduced in 2012 by Jennifer Doudna, Emmanuelle Charpentier and their team, in the form of CRISPR technology. This discovery also earned both scientists the coveted Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020 “for the development of a method for genome editing” – as per the citation. 

CRISPR is an acronym for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats; a highly important antiviral mechanism utilized by certain bacterial species. In a 2016 TED Talk, Doudna explained how a simple research project of studying a bacteria’s antiviral defence mechanisms resulted in the honing of CRISPR technology.  CRISPR is a vital component of the bacteria, as it detects and destroys virulent DNA. An integral part of CRISPR is a protein called Cas9 – which seeks, cuts and effectively tears down the virulent DNA. 

Consider CRISPR as a database which holds an extensive record of virulent DNA segments that may have previously attacked the bacteria. These segments are then copied onto an RNA piece, which binds with Cas9. Consider Cas9 as both a tracker and a pair of molecular scissors. It searches for free-floating genetic material in the cell to locate virulent DNA that may have re-entered the bacteria. Upon detection, the Cas9 protein snips and destroys the DNA. 

Applying this concept to a laboratory environment allowed scientists to experiment with this mechanism. They also learnt how to repair or rebuild genes which have had DNA segments cut off. This gave rise to methods such as base editing, pioneered by David R. Liu. Base editing converts one DNA base to another without having to cut apart the DNA. This is achieved through base editors, which can be considered molecular pencils. 

CRISPR is known to be the most simple, cheap, precise gene editing technology today. With real-world applications such as curing diseases, creating drought-resistant crops to changing the genetic makeup of embryos to produce a ‘designer baby’, it has rightly been viewed with both awe and terror. 

During the pandemic, CRISPR technology was utilized by the US Food and Drug Administration to authorize rapid COVID-19 tests for the public. The technology’s implementation in a treatment to prevent COVID-19 from attacking lung cells proved to be potentially life-saving, according to a Duke University study. 

However, the technology is not without its limitations. “While we can easily alter the genetic makeup of a cell, we also have to understand that we may create certain organisms that could be more virulent and lethal. This is the flipside,” explained Krishna Vadher, an IB Biology facilitator and academic.  He mentioned how mutations occurring in DNA that has undergone the CRISPR/Cas9 procedure are a topic of concern in the scientific community – as the slightest mutation may lead to disastrous consequences.  Along with that, there are limitations such as off-target edits; an unintended DNA modification that may pose challenges in clinical trials. As research is still being conducted, it has been difficult to implement the CRISPR/Cas9 method to mature cells in large numbers – posing another hurdle for scientists to navigate around. 

Currently, CRISPR technology is being utilized by various countries, with the USA and China-based companies conducting the most experiments and publishing a high number of studies and articles. Other countries such as Saudi Arabia, India, Turkey and Korea are also pursuing studies and real-life applications of the technology. 

One of the most prominent concerns with CRISPR and gene editing, however,  has nothing to do with biology. Rather, it deals with the ethics of science and technology.