![]() What is missed in the awarding of the Prize is the significant role that many others, including Virginijus Siksnys, played in helping to bring about the development of gene editing. The importance of the CRISPR/Cas9 was recognised with the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuel Charpentier on 7th October 2020. Several start-up companies have been founded to exploit the technology commercially and large pharmaceutical companies are also exploring its use for drug discovery and development purposes. Such therapy aims to insert normal genes into the cells of people who suffer from genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis, haemophilia or Tay Sachs. The technology is also being investigated for gene therapy. It is also being utilised in the creation of transgenic animals to produce organs for transplants into human patients. Within the context of health it could pave the way to the development of new treatments for rare metabolic disorders and genetic diseases ranging from haemophilia through to Huntingdon's disease. In agriculture it could help in the design of new grains, roots and fruits. The technique is already being explored for a wide number of applications in fields ranging from agriculture through to human health. It is also different in that it is not species-specific, so can be used on organisms previously resistant to genetic engineering. This makes it possible to manipulate many different genes in a cell line, plant or animal very quickly, reducing the process from taking a number of years to a matter of weeks. How it differs from previous genetic engineering techniques is that it allows for the introduction or removal of more than one gene at a time. One of the reasons for its popularity is that it makes it possible to carry out genetic engineering on an unprecedented scale at a very low cost. Many favour the CRISPR/Cas9 technique because of its high degree of flexibility and accuracy in cutting and pasting DNA. The CRISPR/Cas 9 technique is one of a number of gene-editing tools. Connections Jennifer Doudna | Recombinant DNA | Transgenic animals Importance
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