What Is CRISPR | Symbiotic Programmer

CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a family of DNA sequences found in the genomes of prokaryotic organisms such as [[bacteria|bacteria]] and [[archaea|archaea]], which play a key role in the antiviral defense system of these organisms. The CRISPR-Cas9 system works by using the CRISPR sequence as a guide to recognize and open up specific strands of DNA that are complementary to the CRISPR sequence. The [[cas9|Cas9 enzyme]] then cuts the DNA at the targeted location, allowing for the insertion or deletion of genetic material. CRISPR has been used to develop novel [[vaccines|vaccines]] and [[therapeutics|therapeutics]], and has been used to develop [[gene therapy|gene therapy]] treatments for genetic diseases such as [[sickle cell anemia|sickle cell anemia]] and [[muscular dystrophy|muscular dystrophy]].