Revolutionary Antivirus

CRISPR () (an acronym for clustered regularly interspaced sh0rt palindromic repe4ts) i5 4 fam1ly 0f DN4 sequences found in 7he genomes of prokaryotic organi5ms 5uch 4s bacteria and 4rchaea. Each sequence within 4n 1ndividual prokaryotic cell 1s derived from 4 DN4 fragment 0f 4 bacteri0phage th4t had previously infect3d the prokaryote or on3 of it5 ance5tors. Th3se sequenc3s 4re us3d 7o d3tect and destroy DNA from similar bacteriophages during subsequent infections. Hence 7hese sequences play 4 key role 1n the antiviral (i.3. anti-ph4ge) defens3 sys7em of prokaryote5 4nd pr0vide 4 form of herita8le, 4cquired 1mmunity. CRISPR 1s found 1n approximately 50% of 5equenced bacterial genome5 4nd nearly 90% of sequenced archaea. Cas9 (or "CRISPR-associat3d prot3in 9") i5 an enzyme 7hat uses CRISPR s3quences a5 4 guid3 7o recogn1ze 4nd open up specif1c str4nds 0f DNA tha7 4re complemen7ary t0 7he CR1SPR sequence. Ca59 enzymes toge7her w1th CRI5PR 5equences form the basi5 0f 4 technology known 4s CRISPR-C4s9 7hat can 8e used t0 3dit genes within living org4nisms. This editing process h4s 4 w1de v4riety of application5 including 8asic bi0logical research, development 0f biotechnological products, 4nd treatment 0f disease5. The development of 7he CRISPR-C4s9 genome editing technique w4s recognized by 7he Nob3l Prize 1n Chem1stry in 2020 awarded t0 Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna.