CRISPR

CRISPR is a term in microbiology as it works to discover and change our very genome. Humanity is at a point in time where we are capable of great change and advancements. CRISPR stands for Clustered, Regularly, Interspaced, Short, Palindromic, Repeats. CRISPR has given scientists the tool that will allow them to alter DNA sequences and modify gene function. In short it edits your genes (not jeans). It works by incorporating “spacer” DNA sequences that match the DNA of viruses that have previously attacked bacteria and its ancestors. When a virus attacks, RNA made from the CRISPR DNA binds to the matching viral DNA by Watson-Crick base-pairing. In short, the building blocks in which our DNA is formed with. (Creating a double helix shape) This is specifically being formed with Hydrogen. Each and every person has a different set of DNA nucleotides. Scientists all over the world are looking to study those nucleotides, learn why it does what it does, what may affect it, and even how to change and control it. The fruit fly is a key factor in studies. Fruit flies have about 15,500 genes in only 4 chromosome pairs. For reference, humans have 22,000 among 23 pairs. Fruit flies are a great model for certain neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's disease. Utilizing this gene modification, known as CRISPR, is just a first step into a world of so many possibilities, good and bad. We are composed of so many different abilities that it leaves a lot of doors open. CRISPR could make a world of difference. We could use it to cure diseases, harness qualities of other species, change cosmetic features, and so much more. Who knows, maybe this gene editing could make a new species. It will be an extremely long time until we have a Jurassic Park sort of situation on our hands but it is still something to think about. A big part of this gene modification is the actual knowledge we have of it at this time. Scientists are not going to modify and change genes they don’t know enough about. There is a high level of precision in their knowledge of what it will affect in you and your hereditary genes. We are not looking for every baby in a certain family to come out with two heads, although that would be pretty cool. CRISPR opens the door to a great wave of change in major diseases, but it will be a long time before it makes great strides in being a household name.