CRISPR

[ kris-per ]

noun

1. Biochemistry. a unique cluster of short, repeated DNA sequences found in bacterial genomes and capable of fighting viruses:

   CRISPR enables bacteria to integrate foreign DNA into their genome.

2. Genetics. the technology of targeting a DNA-detecting molecule to a specific genetic sequence for the purpose of editing a gene’s base pairs:

   The approach called CRISPR should speed up the process by allowing researchers to study the entire genome at once.

Word History and Origins

Origin of CRISPR¹

First recorded in 2000–05; acronym from C(lustered) R(egularly) I(nterspaced) S(hort) P(alindromic) R(epeats)

Example Sentences

It relies on the a tool called Crispr, which won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2020.

From BBC

The introduction of the CRISPR/Cas9 method represented a methodological breakthrough for the researchers, as it enabled the establishment of the first transgenic migratory locusts expressing the genetically encoded calcium sensor GCaMP in olfactory sensory neurons.

From Science Daily

As reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers, using a technique known as CRISPR/Cas9 DNA editing that selectively modifies the DNA of living organisms, inserted the same genetic mutations found in humans with Tourette disorder into the corresponding genes in mouse embryos.

From Science Daily

CRISPR, which stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, is a type of immune system that bacteria use to recognize and fight off viruses.

From Science Daily

When the researchers altered this key DNA base using the gene editor CRISPR, they also increased the fishes’ exploratory behavior.

From Science Magazine