Revolutionary gene tool with danger potential
New genetic therapies against hereditary diseases, immunotherapies against cancer - The gene tool "Crispr / Cas" could help in combating many diseases. In her book "A crack in creation", however, the discoverer Jennifer Doudna also describes new dangers that come to humanity through "Crispr / Cas".
The American biochemist Jennifer A. Doudna has developed the "Genetic scissor" "Crispr / Cas".
In the labs of many bioscientists there is nothing more like it was. A simple, precise gene called Crispr / Cas 9 has changed the world of scientists and creates constantly new possibilities. Together with the microbiologist Emmanuelle Charpentier, the American biochemist Jennifer Doudna brought the ball rolling.
How she discovered Crispr / Cas, and how Crispr / Cas changed her life, she describes, knowledgefully, vividly and very personally in "A Crack in Creation", a crack in the creation.
"When our first data showed that we were able to control the Genuine Cas9 exactly, we immediately realized that a new technology could be developed from it."
Experiments via Skype
2011, in a café in Puerto Rico on the edge of a meeting for microbiologists, Jennifer Doudna first met Emmanuelle Charpentier. "An elegant, young woman, reserved, intelligent and witty." Jennifer Doudna describes her new colleague.
"At that time, I only knew about Emmanuelle's release, and I read about their ideas for the functioning of Crispr / Cas as part of the immune system of bacteria, and we now developed plans for how to solve this puzzle in the lab As a microbiologist. "
From now on, the two researchers were in continuous contact. Connected to sketches of the Czech Martin Jinek in California and the Pole Krzyszof Chylinski in Vienna their experiments. Mostly in the middle of the night in Polish since Chylinski did not speak English so well.
In a few weeks, they were able to clarify how Crispr / Cas was working, as planned by their bosses at the café: an RNA as a programmable viewfinder, and Cas9 as an enzymatic scissor guided by this viewfinder. From pure basic research a revolutionary method was developed to change hereditary molecules quickly, simply and purposefully.
"The method opens up a lot of possibilities and is extremely useful."
chances and risks
In her book, Jennifer Doudna gives free rein to her enthusiasm. New gene therapies against hereditary diseases, but also immunotherapies against cancer. Blood cells can be protected against the AIDS virus and genetically modified porcine organs for transplant medicine. Everything will be easier with Crispr / Cas.
But with all the euphoria, the author sees new dangers to mankind. The scientists now have a tool to recreate their own way according to personal preferences. Crispr / Cas can even extinguish whole biological species - through a genetic chain reaction, the so-called Gene Drive. This could become more dangerous than all previous human interventions into nature, warns Jennifer Doudna. A responsibility that the scientist wants to ask, but also her sleepless nights.
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