2016 AAAS Annual Meeting (February 11-15, 2016)

February 10 - 15, 2016

Discovery and Development of the CRISPR-Cas Genome Editing Technology

The recent discovery of a bacterial immunity process and its associated enzymes (CRISPR-Cas) has enabled a powerful, yet remarkably simple, genome editing technology that has quickly been put to use worldwide. Scientists are now able to program the CRISPR-Cas to selectively delete or alter almost any site within a complicated genome. The CRISPR-Cas-based genome editing technology has transformed the method of genetic material manipulation and will have profound impacts on our society. As interest in broadening CRISPR-Cas applications grows in areas of gene therapy, sustainable food supply, and even human enhancement, increased understanding of the fundamentals of the CRISPR-Cas biology and biochemistry is needed. Leaders of CRISPR-Cas research present the most recent findings on the mechanism of CRISPR-Cas enzymes and efforts to improve the specificity, and thereby the safety, of the technology.