New Technique Allows Bioengineers To "Reprogram" Genetic Code [View all]

[n2doc]

Scientists at Stanford University have found a way to program DNA in such a way that genes can be turned on or off in living cells. Incredibly, the new tool can affect two different genes at the same time, an advance that will allow scientists to treat even the most complex genetic disorders.

There are tens of thousands of genes in the human genome. Trouble is, nasty things can happen when even a single gene or gene sequence fails to activate, or if a deleterious mutated gene turns on. So how great would it be if we could find a way to enable or disable specific genes? A research team led by Stanford scientist Lei Stanley Qi has now figured this out.

In their new paper, which appears at the journal Cell, the geneticists describe a new system in which a kind of "programmable" genetic code can be used to selectively activate or deactivate genes. To do so, the scientists leveraged the power of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system. But instead of using the "cut-and-paste" method of editing genes, the scientists rejigged the CRISPR molecule to include a second chunk of information on the RNA — a piece of information that tells the molecule to either boost or reduce a target gene's activity, or to just switch it on or off completely. By manipulating these genetic switches, the researchers have harnessed the power of genetic programming.

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http://io9.com/new-technique-allows-bioengineers-to-reprogram-geneti-1682288719