Explain in your own words exactly how CRISPR works. Do you agree or disagree that the controversy around CRISPR is similar to the controversy around cloning decades ago?

Overview

CRISPR, Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, is the transformative gene editing tool that has made significant progress in the last several years. There is much hope and hype around this new technology that may one day eradicate diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, Malaria, and many others. At the same time, controversy shrouds any new progress in the field with many wondering about the bioethical implications of new use of the technology.

Instructions

Watch  the Ted Talk – “How CRISPR lets us edit our DNA” and “What is CRISPR?” with background information on CRISPR and information about the latest developments. As you are watching, think about how you will answer the following questions:

1. Explain in your own words exactly how CRISPR works.
2. Do you agree or disagree that the controversy around CRISPR is similar to the controversy around cloning decades ago?
3. What is the Cas9 RNA base sequence that would attach the CRISPR complex to the following segment of DNA? (Hint: See Section 21.5 of eText)

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