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Researchers Identify Newer and More Precise System For Genome Editing
An anonymous reader writes: Scientists have identified a new advanced molecular system for human genome editing with potential to increase power and precision of genome engineering. The team, including the scientist who first harnessed the CRISPR-Cas9 system for mammalian genome editing, described the features of the new system and demonstrated that it can be engineered to edit the genomes of human cells.
Aww, read that as
for a moment there.
"Set a man a fire, he'll be warm for the rest of the night. Set a man afire, he'll be warm for the rest of his life."
CRISPR
Your body stores genetic signatures of bad bugs in your immunity DNA, and, well, have a listen.
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
I would bet that Editas and other companies switch over to this almost immediately. The problem with Cas9 is the blunt ends and that makes it much harder to do highly specific genome editing but it does work. This method looks vastly better and just as easy to work with. It is hard to explain why the creation of sticky ends is so much better. The old method would be like sawing a piece of wood straight through and the new method a cut half way through, a horizontal cut and then completes it the rest of the way down so you have an overhang. The overhang makes the method far more precise for hooking up new sequences.
I can't wait for us to finally start curing genetic diseases at the source. Biotechnology is progressing so quickly right now and many of the things we have already created are amazing but I don't think this is even the tip of the iceburg yet. Once we can cure genetic problems that will deal with a huge amount of health problems that humans have and these techniques are actually cheap. CRISPR is easy to do and easy to replicate.
It is going to be an interesting next few decades coming up. :)
Computer modeling for biotech drug manufacturing is HARD!
Maybe we could code an ACTUAL gnome, though
Part of that depends on what scale of gnomes. Do we want the Poortvliet/Huygen gnomes, who are 15 cm tall like the Lilliputians that live with mice and rats in Who Moved My Cheese and its parodies? Or do we want the more Warcraft-style ones closer in height to dwarves and halflings? If the latter, we could probably start with the allele for Laron syndrome (growth hormone insensitivity), which has fewer adverse effects than some other forms of human dwarfism, and then add a few other desirable traits associated with fantasy gnomes.
Cancer is much too profitable for their AMA.
I think the point of curing a disease to remission or preventing it entirely is to let patients live longer so that they can be patients longer. Reduce infant mortality and children survive to catch adult ailments. Get the infectious diseases out of the way (measles, mumps, whooping cough, tetanus, Tetris) and people survive to need treatment for type 2 diabetes. Keep the diabetics alive and they survive to need treatment for cancer.
It's an "aviation problem," that's all. Gaining the ability to fly was highly dangerous, but the advantages were so great that there was no way we could not do it.
The place to start with human genetic engineering is by knocking out specific single genes we know are associated with diseases life CF or Tay-Sachs. As we learn more about the genome, we will gradually expand into enhancements, like giving everyone tetrachromat vision. Should be recuse from genetic engineering because of the potential danger? If we did, we would inevitably lose out to societies that were willing to take more risks.
Uhmm,, I saw this news, it still unknown that if this cpf1 is better than CRISPR Cas9 technology, But some advantage is very clear. I belive the potential of this cpf1.
np-hard is about how the problem scales. Genomes and indeed a cell has finite complexity. It is bounded. NP or not.
also it is not a np problem.
If information wants to be free, why does my internet connection cost so much?