Hey. In the last five years, biology has undergone a tectonic shift, as researchers around the world adopted a revolutionary technology called editing of genes. It includes precise cutting and gluing of DNA by specialized proteins, inspired by nature and developed by researchers. These proteins come in three varieties, all of which are known for their somewhat awkward acronyms: ZFNs, TALENs and CRISPR. But Crispr, with its elegant design and simple work, is what most captures the imagination of scientists. Now they use it for the treatment of genetic diseases, the cultivation of climate-resistant crops and the development of design materials, food and medicines.
The CRISPR gene editing technology could one day rid the world of the most devastating diseases, allowing us to simply edit the genetic code responsible for the disease. One of the things that stand in the way of turning this fantasy into reality is the problem of non-targeted effects. Now Microsoft hopes to use artificial intelligence to solve this problem.
You see, CRISPR strongly depends on the accuracy of its work. Today, compared to previous genetic technologies, CRISPR can accurately change the tiny fragment of the genetic code. But still this is not exactly accurate for wide clinical use. Opinions about how often deviations from the goal are different, but at least in some percentage of CRISPR, still, makes changes to the site of DNA, which was not supposed to change. Depending on what will be affected, this can inadvertently lead to new health problems, such as cancer.
Scientists have long been working on methods of fine tuning CRISPR, so as to minimize these unintended effects. In the company of Microsoft believe that artificial intelligence (AI) can be one way to do this. Working with computer scientists and biologists from research institutions in the US, the company developed a new tool called Elevation, which predicts off-target effects when editing genes with the help of CRISPR.
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