Derived from and inspired by the adaptive immune system of bacteria, CRISPR has gone from basic biology knowledge to a revolutionizing biotechnological tool, applicable in many research areas such as medicine, industry and agriculture. The full mechanism of CRISPR-Cas9 was first published in 2012 and various CRISPR-Cas systems have already passed the first stages of clinical trials as new gene therapies. The immense research has resulted in continuously growing knowledge of CRISPR systems and the technique seems to have the potential to greatly impact all life on our planet. Therefore, this literature study aims to thoroughly describe the CRISPR-Cas system, and further suggest an undergraduate laboratory exercise involving gene editing with the CRISPR-Cas9 tool. In this paper, we describe the fundamental technical background of the CRISPR-Cas system, especially emphasizing the most studied CRISPR-Cas9 system, its development and applications areas, as well as highlighting its current limitations and ethical concerns. The history of genetic engineering and the discovery of the CRISPR system is also described, along with a comparison with other established gene editing techniques. This study concludes that a deeper knowledge about CRISPR is important and required since the technique is applicable in many research areas. A laboratory exercise will not only inspire but also provide extended theoretical and practical knowledge for undergraduate students.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:liu-171997 |
| Date | January 2020 |
| Creators | Stens, Cassandra, Enoksson, Isabella, Berggren, Sara |
| Publisher | Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för fysik, kemi och biologi, Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för fysik, kemi och biologi, Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för fysik, kemi och biologi |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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