FMP: Codex Vitae - CRISPR/Cas-9 by João Maia

CRISPR-Cas9
In order to understand CRISPR we need to
understand the oldest of wars, Bacteria vs.
Virus.
Virus hunts Bacteria, they kill the bacteria
by inserting their own genetic code into the
bacteria, taking them over and using them
as factories. The bacteria tries to resist but
fails, most of the times, simply because
their protection is too weak.
When bacteria survives the attack, they are
able to activate their most effective antivirus
system, by saving a part of the virus
DNA in their own genetic code in a DNA
archive called CRISPR. So when the virus
attacks again, the bacteria makes a copy
of the virus DNA that had been stored and
arms a protein called CAS-9. This protein
matches the attackers DNA with the stored
DNA. When it has a 100% match, CAS-9
is activated and cuts out the attacker DNA,
making it useless.
THIS MEANS THAT CRISPR MIGHT
HELP US END DISEASES, LIKE HIV,
CANCER AND OTHERS. WE CAN
MODIFY OUR IMMUNE SYSTEM TO
MAKE IT STRONGER AT DETECTING
THIS DISEASE CELLS.