The CRISPR Craze: Infographic

The discovery of an ancient adaptive immune system in bacteria, called the CRISPR/Cas system, has revolutionized modern science. The bacterial proteins that identify and target viral DNA for degradation have been characterized and manipulated for a variety of uses in agriculture, molecular biology, and medicine. As the CRISPR/Cas9 technology is refined and improved, genome-editing applications in particular have broad implications for both bench science and human health. Here we trace key events in the discovery, development and adaptation of CRISPR/Cas9 technologies.

For information on the looming patent war, and ethical implications of CRISPR technologies, check out our related articles, Controlling CRISPR and The Ethics of Embryo Editing. Want a more detailed history of the evolution and applications of this phenomenal system? Be sure to read CRISPR in the Red Queen’s Court.

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Catherine Schrankel

Former Co-Editor in Chief

Cat obtained her MSc in Biological Sciences from the George Washington University in Washington, DC. She is currently a PhD student of Immunology at the University of Toronto, and is interested in the development and evolution of immune systems (using the purple sea urchin as a model system). In her spare time, she loves to cook, run, and work on her burgeoning interests in scientific illustration and design.

Latest posts by Catherine Schrankel (see all)

• Issue 1 2016 – Front Cover - June 13, 2016
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