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CRISPR-Cas9 is a recent technology that was discovered developed in 2007 by Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Carpentier. This complex naturally occurs in E.coli bacteria. Oftentimes, CRISPR is associated with medical applications, but this infographic will introduce how CRISPR and its gene-editing capacities can also solve environmental issues such as reducing food waste, creating bioplastics and biofuels.
What is CRISPR?
Similar to how amino acids are the basis of protein, genes are the basis of heredity, the ability to pass genetic information via generations. Genes contain the genetic information, DNA, that will be transferred from parent to offspring. For example, the human genome contains nearly 30,000 genes while plant genomes are over 40,000 genes. Genes determine the function of proteins, small structures that perform different functions from the cellular level to the organ level. There are numerous types of genes to perform different functions. Recently, a new type of gene modification can be achieved known as CRISPR-Cas9, a type of genetic engineering technique.
CRISPR stands for cluster of regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats which were first discovered in the E.coli genome, but scientists did not fully develop the engineered CRISPR-Cas9 system until 2007. E.coli and other bacteria have used the CRISPR as a mechanism to edit the host gene's during infection. We have been able to engineer CRISPR/Cas9 by using plasmids, a type of vector that can be inserted into the cell to produce genes, and in the case of CRISPR/CAS9, the plasmid will contain the genes necessary to conduct gene editing similar to bacteria ()
CRISPR is often associated with medical applications, but CRISPR is also being used to help solve environmental issues such as reducing food waste, creating bioplastics, and making biofuels.
Video about CRISPR-Cas9 Source: TedTalk How CRISPR lets you edit DNA - Andrea M. Henle
Comparison of the natural CRISPR pathway in bacteria vs. the engineered CRISPR Cas9 system developed today. Source: https://sites.tufts.edu/crispr/files/2014/11/Genome-Editing-Overview2-1024x667.png
Infographic about the different applications of CRISPR in environmental science.
In conclusion...
After researching the different applications of CRISPR in environmental science, we see that CRISPR can be applied to different types of research like solving environmental issues. There are significant possibilities in agriculture in terms of making crops more multipurpose. For example, researchers at the University of Queensland want to engineer cane sugar for biofuel production since they have one of the most abundant biomass and for bioplastic production. Multifunctional crops are not only beneficial to reduce waste but also for farmers to cater to different markets for profit. Monocropping is not only detrimental to the soil but recently, farmers are producing more than the demand, changing the market for animal feed or consumption. The CRISPR application to biosensing was particularly interesting because plants and other organisms can naturally detect pollutants, developing more bioindicators. Overall, the applications of CRISPR are extensive and there are more applications than this infographic can fit. What possibilities do you think CRISPR can do to help the environment?
Resources
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