CRISPR: Important Topics for UPSC Exams
What?
- CRISPR is a genome editing tool which is faster, cheaper and more accurate than previous DNA editing techniques.
Why?
But scientists have been tinkering with genomes for decades. Why is CRISPR suddenly such a big deal?
- CRISPR allows scientists to edit genomes with unprecedented precision, efficiency, and flexibility.
- The past few years have seen a flurry of “firsts” with CRISPR, from creating monkeys with targeted mutations to preventing HIV infection in human cells.
- Some Chinese scientists have announced that they applied the technique to nonviable human embryos, hinting at CRISPR’s potential to cure any genetic disease.