Indian scientists have developed an enhanced genome-editing system.
CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, Scientists have developed an enhanced genome-editing system that can modify DNA more precisely and efficiently.
This is more efficient than the existing CRISPR-based technologies.
As a part of the immune system, CRISPR occurs naturally in some bacteria that limit infection by recognising and destroying viral DNA.
Scientists have developed an approach for editing the genomes of higher-order organisms.
With the help of CRISPR-Cas9, researchers can add, remove or alter specific DNA sequences in the genome of animals.
This system has been used in various fields, including in agriculture and healthcare.
The CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing tool uses a guide-RNA (gRNA) designed to find and bind to a specific part of the target genome.
Cas9 recognizes and binds to the PAM sequence, and acts as a molecular scissor that snips some damaged DNA.
Cas9, called FnCas9, is highly precise, it has a low efficiency as well.