CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a revolutionary gene editing technology that allows precise modifications to an organism DNA. It originated from a natural defense mechanism found in bacteria to fight viruses.
The CRISPR system consists of two main components: the Cas9 protein, which acts as molecular scissors, and a guide RNA that directs Cas9 to the specific DNA sequence to be edited. This technology enables scientists to add, remove, or alter specific sections of genetic material with high precision, holding immense potential for various applications in medicine, agriculture, and research.