CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing
- Date
- June 2012
- Category
- Science, technology & invention
- Region
- Global
- Era
- Contemporary
- Significance
In a paper published in the journal Science in June 2012, Jennifer Doudna of the University of California, Berkeley, and Emmanuelle Charpentier, then at Umeå University in Sweden, with colleagues including Martin Jinek, showed that the bacterial CRISPR-Cas9 system could be reprogrammed as a precise, programmable tool to cut DNA at any chosen location.
Adapted from a natural immune mechanism that bacteria use against viruses, CRISPR-Cas9 made genome editing far cheaper, faster and easier than previous methods, allowing researchers to add, remove or alter genetic sequences with relative simplicity. The technology spread rapidly through laboratories worldwide and is being applied to agriculture, basic research and the treatment of genetic diseases, including the first approved CRISPR-based therapies for sickle-cell disease. Doudna and Charpentier received the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The power of the tool also raised profound ethical questions, particularly about editing the human germline, which crystallised in later controversy. CRISPR is widely regarded as one of the most consequential biotechnologies of the twenty-first century.
One piece of history in your inbox, weekly
New empires, events and features as they land — one good email a week. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Related science, technology & invention events
- Release of ChatGPT and the rise of generative AI30 November 2022
- Global eradication of smallpox declared8 May 1980 (last natural case 1977)
- The collapse in solar and wind costs and the energy transition2010s-2020s
- First direct detection of gravitational waves14 September 2015 (announced 11 February 2016)
- First mRNA COVID-19 vaccines authorised11 December 2020
- Completion of the Human Genome Project14 April 2003
Further reading
The wider story
A Little History of Science
Warm, jargon-free tour of discovery from Babylonian stargazers to the genome.
Get it on Amazon →As an Amazon Associate, Human Saga earns from qualifying purchases.