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CRISPRCRISPR is a molecular tool that can make precise changes to a gene's DNA. An acronym for "clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats," the tool was discovered in single-celled organisms, where it acts as an immune system to attack invasive viruses. Scientists have since used it to target and manipulate precise sections of DNA—the genetic blueprints for living things. Each CRISPR has two parts—a "guide RNA" designed to latch onto a specific region of the DNA molecules and a Cas protein that cuts the targeted area. Cells try to repair the cut but often do so incorrectly, effectively deactivating that part of the blueprint. These deactivations can be used as medical treatments by selecting problematic genetic blueprints, such as those that cause an increased likelihood of getting cancer. Dozens of clinical trials are underway for treatments that utilize CRISPR to address a range of diseases and allergies. Scientists are also utilizing CRISPR to develop new crops for food production, enhance the resilience of existing crops, and improve the sustainability of farming practices.Explore CRISPR

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TIGR may supplement CRISPR by providing more refined DNA targetingThe tandem interspaced guide RNA is primarily found in viruses—unlike CRISPR, which is bacterial in origin—and is smaller than CRISPR, making it easier to deliver into cells. The TIGR-Tas system appears to read both sides of the DNA double helix and opens a smaller segment of DNA for repairs, improving the precision of single letter modification. SciShow CRISPR technology is removing allergens from common foodsProteins responsible for allergies to eggs, milk, wheat, peanuts, and other foods can be genetically edited out of foods to reduce the risk of life-threatening reactions. The technique has also been used to produce caffeine-free coffee beans, spicier tomatoes, allergen-free pets, and more nutritious fish. Labiotech.eu Women's wartime suit features silk dyed with CRISPR-modified bacteriaAnna Dumitriu's bioart piece was created to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the first use of penicillin in a human patient and intends to raise awareness about the rapid development of antibiotic-resistant pathogens by using bacteria that have essentially been transformed into their pre-antibiotic era state. Labiotech.eu Malaria mosquitoes in a lab were wiped out using CRISPRScientists at Imperial College London disabled a gene in female Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes to make them infertile and propagated the infertility mutation at unnaturally high rates using a gene drive. The entire population collapsed within a dozen generations, showing promise for subsequent with mosquitoes in mimicked tropical environments. Chemical & Engineering News Astronauts have repaired DNA in space using CRISPRThe Genes In Space-6 experiment, conducted aboard the International Space Station, investigated the application of the gene editing tool in microgravity, a crucial experiment for long-duration space travel. The work was done three years after four Minnesota students proposed the experiment as part of a national contest in 2018. Space.com Despite its potential, CRISPR still fails 15% of the time Biochemists from UIC found that persistent Cas9 binding to double-strand breaks impacts DNA repair efficiency and the effectiveness of the gene editing tool. RNA polymerase collisions also dislodge Cas9, which affects the efficiency of the tool. University of Illinois Chicago CRISPR technology has improved crop resistance to pests and diseasesThe gene editing tool is a modern version of the genetic modification that has been done on crops for centuries to create plants with preferred traits. Other applications of CRISPR include creating plants with higher yields and better resistance to climate challenges, as well as foods with improved shelf life and nutrition. Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI)Scientists create the first CRISPR-modified spider to enhance its silk proteinsA research group at the University of Bayreuth used CRISPR-Cas9 to genetically modify spiders to produce glowing red silk. Spider silk is five times stronger than steel by weight, and this research paves the way for developing new silk functionalities. ILFScience CRISPR is a gene-editing tool that lets scientists cut out and replace damaged DNAOne of the most significant advances in modern medical science, CRISPR is a molecular tool for making precise changes to a gene's DNA. The technology has already been approved for treating sickle-cell disease. 1440 CRISPR-Cas9 enables precise genome editing using a simple RNA-guided systemJennifer Doudna's research uncovered how bacteria use the tool as an immune defense by cutting viral DNA. She and Emmanuelle Charpentier received the 2020 Nobel Prize in chemistry for showing how this mechanism could be engineered to target and edit genes in living cells. Nobel Prize Drs. Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier discuss CRISPRJennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier's were awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize for research focused on understanding and adapting the CRISPR-Cas9 system to precisely edit DNA sequences in other organisms. Doudna has indicated that the system can potentially treat genetic forms of blindness and high cholesterol. TED Audio Collective Research on bacterial cultures used in yogurt production led to CRISPR's discoveryScientists learned it was a microbial immune system that could be repurposed to protect dairy cultures from viruses. Today, nearly all yogurt is made with CRISPRized bacteria, as are genetically modified crops like herbicide-resistant corn, wheat, and soy. Gastropod Dispose of invading viruses while learning about the CRISPR immune systemIn this free, easy-to-play game, defend the city of Bacterium by playing the role of Cris Perotein. As you play, you'll learn microbiology and the workings of the mechanisms that CRISPR uses to protect bacteria. (desktop recommended) Innovative Genomics Institute Scientists are using CRISPR to crossbreed heat-resistant corals amid warming reefsInside Australia's National Sea Simulator, coral hybrids are genetically engineered to resist the widespread coral bleaching caused by rising global temperatures. Early trials have developed groups with survival rates up to 34 percentage points higher than nonhybrids. (Some readers may experience a paywall.) Science Magazine Advances in agriculture are being powered by CRISPR to boost carbon captureResearchers are using CRISPR to test thousands of plant gene edits, aiming to speed up breeding and maximize carbon retention in soil. By engineering drought tolerance, they also aim to increase crop yields and expand the environments where crops can grow. University of California As of February 2025, there are more than 150 clinical trials using CRISPR technologyThe clinical trials are designed to determine whether experimental CRISPR-related therapies are safe and effective. The majority of trials involve treatments for blood disorders, including beta thalassemia. CRISPR Medicine The first CRISPR-approved treatment was for sickle cell anemia in 2023Victoria Gray was the first patient to receive a CRISPR-based therapy, which eliminated her symptoms and restored her health. The therapy's initial cost of $2.2M has kept it out of reach of many patients. NPR Different enzymes can be used in the CRISPR system to modify how DNA is cutThe system uses RNA sequences to guide enzymes like Cas9 to specific spots in DNA, where they cut or modify genes. Unlike Cas9, the Cpf1 enzyme makes staggered cuts, which helps insert new DNA more cleanly. Broad Institute CRISPR-Cas systems act as genetic memory banks for defending bacterial cellsWhen viruses called phages inject DNA into bacteria, some bacterial species store bits of this DNA in their own genomes. This allows them to recognize and destroy the same virus if it attacks again. Max Planck Society CRISPR is a gene-editing tool that lets scientists cut out and replace damaged DNAOriginally a bacterial defense system against viruses, CRISPR uses guide RNA and a protein called Cas9 to identify and cut specific DNA sequences. Scientists can repurpose this system to switch off faulty genes, insert new ones to treat genetic diseases, or modify organs grown in other animals so that they appear less foreign to a human immune system. TED-Ed CRISPR turns 10 years oldWhen Dr. Jennifer Doudna and colleagues released a paper in 2012 demonstrating the ability to harness the cell's natural immunity machinery to edit DNA, it received little fanfare. A decade later, the gene editing technology has led to innovations in medicine, evolution, and agriculture—and raised profound ethical questions about altering human DNA. The New York Times Restoring vision in impaired patients via CRISPRSince CRISPR was revealed as a gene editing tool in 2012, it has been on an accelerated track to real-world applications. Among other clinical demonstrations, doctors have now injected a CRISPR treatment directly into eye cells, helping vision-impaired patients see shapes and colors again. NPR Visualize how CRISPR works at the molecular levelCRISPR is a revolutionary gene-editing technology already making a real-world impact in helping to treat several diseases and conditions. This simulation provides a microscopic view to help easily visualize the complex science. Howard Hughes Medical Institute Explaining CRISPR at five levels of technical detailCRISPR is a new area of biomedical science that enables gene editing and could be the key to eventually curing diseases like autism or cancer. WIRED challenges biologist Neville Sanjana to explain this concept to 5 different people; a 7-year-old, a 14-year-old, a college student, a grad student and a CRISPR expert. WIRED A deeper (nontechnical) dive into how CRISPR worksExtra crispy? No, it's CRISPR, but this gene-editing technology is "extra" in the sense of being momentous and destined to change everything. Through CRISPR, scientist exploit a quirk in bacteria immune systems, allowing them to potentially, and quickly, control genes, remove undesirable traits, and add preferred ones. The possibilities and applications are endless. Vox Researchers are breeding genetically modified mosquitoes to be malaria-resistantUsing CRISPR, a team of international researchers is genetically modifying Anopheles in the lab to be malaria-resistant. The insects would be released into the wild to mate with the wild population, passing down this trait. As of early 2026 they had not yet released the mosquitoes into the wild for field trials. Separate CRISPR work seeks to reduce the Anopheles population altogether. Reuters De-extinction techniques create new species from existing organismsRather than recovering a genetic sample of a lost species and editing it with that of living creature—as has been depicted in science fiction—scientists begin with living cells from close genetic relatives and use tools like CRISPR to swap in extinct versions of specific traits to create new hybrid species. NOVA PBS Official Genetic engineering mice is one idea to reduce Lyme disease transmissionWild white-footed mice are the main carriers of Lyme. A research team is hoping to genetically engineer mice, using CRISPR, to make the animals immune to Lyme. They're proposing a field trial where they would insert a gene with an antibody to Lyme infection to break the disease transmission cycle on a private island and then try it in Nantucket if that goes well. Simply killing the mice isn't an option because it would upend food webs. Unlike traditional vaccines, this "heritable immunization" would pass from one generation of mice to the next. 60 Minutes New Haven 'apizza' nods to Naples and New EnglandThe thin pizza, called "apizza," is crispier than the typical slice from New York or a national chain, and much more like the thin-crust pizzas associated with pizza's birthplace. It's also got some inspired toppings, with one popular pie that speaks to New England's love of seafood: the white clam pie. New Haven Pizza School Budweiser still uses the same yeast lineage derived from the one used in the 1800sDuring the late 1800s when Budweiser beers hit the market, darker, all‑malt lagers dominated the US beer market. Budweiser was brewed with a single, consistent yeast strain that gave it a crisp uniform flavor, differentiating it from darker beers. YouTube Chinese scientists transplanted a pig lung into a human being—but it had to be removedIn August 2025, Chinese scientists transplanted a pig lung into a brain-dead person, a common research step for this type of experimental work. Researchers used CRISPR technology to alter six proteins in the pig genes to make the organ seem less foreign to the human immune system. Within a day there were indications the organ wasn’t functioning well and that the person’s body was rejecting it. Scientists ended the experiment after nine days. Live Science This is not a chipPringles aren’t chips—legally speaking. In the US, the FDA said they’re not potato chips. In the UK, courts ruled they’re not even crisps. Turns out, being 42% potato creates a lot of legal confusion. So what are they, really? 1440 Daily Gene therapy, a hope of the Human Genome Project, saves a baby's lifeA baby with a rare genetic disorder received a bespoke gene-editing treatment using CRISPR technology. The case highlights the potential of personalized medicine for rare diseases, building on the foundation set by the Human Genome Project. NPR Latkes, or fried potato pancakes, are eaten on Hanukkah to honor the miracle of the lasting oilDeb Perelman, author of seminal food blog Smitten Kitchen, walks us through her foolproof recipe for classic potato pancakes. Among her tips: choose russet potatoes for a lighter latke, use a towel to wring the water out for extra crispiness, and add a sprinkle of baking powder for a little more lift. smitten kitchen Homology-directed repair is the DNA repair method used by cellsEnvironmental factors like X-ray exposure may break a strand of DNA, but cells can use a sister strand to patch the damage. Scientists exploit this system by introducing custom DNA templates, which cells use instead to make repairs. Science Communication Lab

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