Although the world still has much to learn about diseases and how to treat them, more studies point out that genetics may have a huge role in their development-and treatment.
Thus, many labs are busy trying to tweak these faulty genes. The process, nevertheless, isn't only time-consuming but also very pricey, which makes it very limited.
Then comes CRISPR, a new genetic editing tool developed by Jennifer Doudna and her team. This one is very easy and simple to use, as well as gives scientists and geneticists a lot of opportunities to work on genes. They can edit, add, and modify both the DNA and the RNA whenever necessary.
In fact, the editing tool is so impressive that Craig Mello, a 2006 Nobel Prize Winner and who also worked on genes, has established his own company using CRISPR.
But how did she do it? It turns out that Doudna and her team weren't really trying to find a cure for a certain disease. Rather, they sought better understanding on how genes and diseases work.
Doudna, who is part of the University of California-Berkeley team as a chemistry and molecular and cell biology professor, recalled a project wherein they're trying to determine how bacteria fight a flu virus. They discovered that the bacteria have the mechanism to attack the virus right in its own core, its DNA, by creating an opening, with their specific enzymes, and changing the way its DNA works. This modification is the reason why the bacteria can kill the virus.
These enzymes, moreover, contained more like a template that attaches itself to the DNA sequence of the virus. This led her to think if it's possible to modify such template so it can recognize any type of DNA sequence.
To say that her editing tool is valuable is an understatement. It can potentially save thousands of lives and offer more effective treatment options.
