The 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna, these two scientists have developed one of the sharpest tools in gene technology: CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology. This technique is also called “gene scissors”. Using this technology, researchers can change the DNA of animals, plants, and microorganisms with extreme precision . This technology has revolutionized life sciences, can help researchers develop new cancer treatments, and make the dream of curing genetic diseases a reality.
One of the attractions of science is its unpredictability-you can never know in advance where an idea or problem will lead you. For a person full of curiosity, sometimes you will encounter a dead end, and sometimes you will encounter a maze full of obstacles that takes years to complete. However, it is through exploration again and again that we can see infinite possibilities.
CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology is such an unexpected discovery with amazing potential. When Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna started studying the immune system of streptococci, one of their thoughts was that they might be able to develop a new antibiotic. However, in the end they discovered a molecular tool that can make precise cuts in genetic material, making it possible to modify the code of life.
Molecular tools
Only 8 years after their discovery, these “gene scissors” have reshaped life sciences. With this technology, biochemists and cell biologists can now easily study the functions of different genes and their possible roles in disease progression.
In plant breeding, researchers can give plants special traits, such as the ability to withstand drought in warmer climates. In medicine, this gene editor is contributing to new cancer treatments and the earliest attempts to cure genetic diseases. The potential of CRISPR-Cas9 is almost endless, but it also includes some unethical applications. Like all powerful technologies, these “gene scissors” need to be managed, which will be described in detail later.
In 2011, neither Emmanuelle Charpentier nor Jennifer Doudna knew how their first meeting in a cafe in Puerto Rico would change their lives. Our introduction will start with Charpentier, who initially proposed cooperation.
Charpentier’s interest in pathogenic bacteria
In the eyes of some people, Emmanuelle Charpentier is passionate, careful and devoted. Others say that Charpentier is always looking for unexpected things. She herself, quoting Louis Pasteur (Louis Pasteur), “opportunities favor prepared people.” The desire for new discoveries, as well as the yearning for freedom and independence, dominate her research path, including her doctoral studies at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. She has also lived in 7 cities in 5 countries and worked in 10 different institutions.
Although the environment and research methods have changed, most of her research has one thing in common: pathogenic bacteria. Why are these microorganisms so aggressive? How do they develop antibiotic resistance? Is it possible to find new treatments to stop them?
In 2002, when Emmanuelle Charpentier established her research group at the University of Vienna, she focused on the most harmful bacteria to humans: Streptococcus pyogenes (scientific name: Streptococcus pyogenes). Every year, this bacteria infects millions of people, often causing some easily treatable infection symptoms, such as tonsillitis and impetigo. However, it can also cause life-threatening sepsis and destroy the soft tissues in the body, so it is also called the “meat eater”.
In order to better understand Streptococcus pyogenes, Charpentier began to study how the bacteria’s genes are regulated. This decision is the first step in the discovery of “gene scissors”, and as we continue to trace this path, we will learn more about Jennifer Doudna. Because when Charpentier carefully studied Streptococcus pyogenes, Doudna heard an acronym for the first time, which sounded a lot like “crisper.”
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