CRISPR News and Research

RSS

In the late 1980s and mid-1990s, genomes of diverse lineages of bacteria and archaea (the latter representing a domain of single-celled prokaryotic microorganisms) revealed clusters of regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, known today under the abbreviation CRISPR. Later it was found that these repeat sequences (previously considered disparate) share a common set of features.

Plants Repurpose Gas Exchange Genes for Improved Defense Against Herbivores

Throughout evolution, plants have continuously adapted to survive in changing environments. Apart from complex structural changes, plants have also developed various defense strategies against herbivores, including tougher protective layers, thorns, and chemical deterrents.

29 Mar 2025

Breakthrough Gene Therapy Shows Promise for Treating Hereditary Hearing Loss

Congenital hearing loss refers to impaired auditory function that occurs due to genetic causes. GJB2 is the gene responsible for approximately half of all cases of hereditary hearing loss.

28 Mar 2025

Scientists Identify Crucial Mechanism for Maintaining Neuronal Identity in the Brain

A team of researchers from the Institute for Neurosciences, a joint center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Miguel Hernández University (UMH) of Elche, in collaboration with researchers from Columbia University (New York, USA), has identified a mechanism that regulates the production of two different proteins from the same gene.

24 Mar 2025

Unveiling Bacterial Immune Mechanisms Against Temperate Phages

Like humans, bacteria can be attacked by viruses. In the case of bacteria, these viral attackers are referred to as bacteriophages, a term derived from the Greek word for bacteria-eaters, or simply “phages.”

24 Mar 2025

Programmable Embryoids Provide Insight into Early Development

The earliest days after fertilization, once a sperm cell meets an egg, are shrouded in scientific mystery.

22 Mar 2025

AGD Initiative Drives Progress in Drug Discovery with Sequencing of 250,000 Whole Genomes

Nashville Biosciences LLC (NashBio), a leading clinical and genomic data company and wholly owned subsidiary of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and global DNA sequencing giant Illumina Inc. today announced that 250,000 whole genomes have been sequenced for the Alliance for Genomic Discovery (AGD) initiative.

22 Mar 2025

A Next-Gen CRISPR Tool Just Dropped

Over the past 15 years, developments in the gene-editing technique known as CRISPR-Cas9 have produced significant new understandings of the functions that particular genes play in a variety of disorders.

21 Mar 2025

New Discovery in RNA Splicing Could Transform Treatment of Aggressive Cancers

Alternative RNA splicing is like a movie editor cutting and rearranging scenes from the same footage to create different versions of a film.

17 Mar 2025

Ultrasensitive Pathogen Detection Without Nucleic Acid Amplification

Rashid Bashir, a Bioengineering Professor and Dean of the Grainger College of Engineering oversaw a group of researchers in a project that produced new technology that provides quick, extremely sensitive detection of bacteria and other pathogens at low concentrations that are resistant to multiple drugs.

17 Mar 2025

Study Explores the Physiological Role of Nwd1 Gene in MASH Pathogenesis

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is a liver disease that progresses without symptoms and is associated with significant global public health concerns.

12 Mar 2025

Can We Engineer Crops to Withstand Climate Change and Increasing Temperatures?

Investigating heat stress in crops, this review highlights genetic adaptations and CRISPR techniques to develop resilient varieties for sustainable agriculture.

12 Mar 2025

Study Shows How Transposons Exploit Telomeres in Bacteria

Transposons, or "jumping genes" – DNA segments that can move from one part of the genome to another – are key to bacterial evolution and the development of antibiotic resistance.

8 Mar 2025

New Genetic Discovery Could Lead to Larger Tomatoes and Eggplants

Bigger, tastier tomatoes and eggplants could soon grace our dinner plates thanks to Johns Hopkins scientists who have discovered genes that control how large the fruits will grow.

6 Mar 2025

New CRISPR Method Enhances Surveillance of Antibiotic Resistance in Wastewater

Antibiotic resistance is a global concern that threatens our ability to prevent and treat bacterial infections in humans and animals.

4 Mar 2025

RNA Splicing Errors May Hold the Key to Beating Gliomas Using Immunotherapy

Identifying splicing-related neoantigens in gliomas opens new avenues for immunotherapy, enhancing treatment strategies for this challenging brain tumor.

26 Feb 2025

New Approach to Cancer Treatment Through Nutrient Deprivation

Scientists had previously ignored the cooperative method by which cancer cells obtain nutrients from their surroundings, but it may be a promising target for cancer treatment.

20 Feb 2025

CRISPR Unlocks the Secrets of Flowering in Plants

For generations, humans have loved the beauty of flowers. However, flowers are more than just visually appealing. They also play an important role in plant reproduction.

20 Feb 2025

CRISPR Unlocks ‘Sleeping’ Genes—A Potential Cure for Prader-Willi Syndrome?

CRISPR epigenome editing successfully reactivates silenced genes in Prader-Willi Syndrome, highlighting potential for targeted therapies in genetic disorders.

20 Feb 2025

Unlocking the Genetic Secrets Behind Human Vocal Communication

The origins of human language remain mysterious. Are we the only animals truly capable of complex speech? Are Homo sapiens the only hominids who could give detailed directions to a far-off freshwater source or describe the nuanced purples and reds of a dramatic sunset?

19 Feb 2025