CRISPR

noun

ˈkri-spər 

variants or less commonly Crispr

1

: a segment of genetic material found in the genomes of prokaryotes (such as some bacteria and archaea) that consists of repeated short sequences of nucleotides interspersed at regular intervals between unique sequences of nucleotides derived from the DNA of pathogens (such as viruses) which had previously infected the bacteria and that functions to protect the bacteria against future infection by the same pathogens

Note: The CRISPR segment encodes, via transcription, short RNA sequences that pair with complementary sequences of viral DNA. The pairing is used to guide an enzyme to cleave the viral DNA and prevent further infection.

CRISPR, he learned, was a strange cluster of DNA sequences that could recognize invading viruses, deploy a special enzyme to chop them into pieces, and use the viral shards that remained to form a rudimentary immune system.

—Michael Specter

2

: a gene editing technique in which CRISPR and the RNA segments and enzymes it produces are used to identify and modify specific DNA sequences in the genome of other organisms

Just a few years after its invention, CRISPR gene editing is already having a major impact on biomedical research. It makes it easy to "turn off" genes one at a time, to see what they do. It can introduce specific mutations, to find out why they make cells cancerous or predispose people to diseases. And it can be used to tinker with the genes of plants and animals …

—Michael Le Page

Using CRISPR, they have now disabled four rice genes, suggesting that the technique could be used to engineer this crucial food crop.

—Elizabeth Pennisi

Scientists hope Crispr might also be used for genomic surgery, as it were, to correct errant genes that cause disease.

—Andrew Pollack

Note: The technique is sometimes called CRISPR-Cas9 , which includes the name of the enzyme that cleaves DNA.

… an incredibly fast-paced field in which laboratories around the world have used CRISPR-Cas9 to edit genomes of a wide range of cell types and organisms.

—Jennifer A. Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier

Examples of CRISPR in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The kicker is that the team used CRISPR to ramp up production of CD19. —Michael Irving, New Atlas, 9 Dec. 2024

At the very least, that ecosystem contained viruses: The researchers say LUCA likely housed 19 CRISPR genes, which bacteria use to slice up viral threats. —Jonathan Lambert, Quanta Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024

While small molecules are currently at the forefront of efforts to modulate the activity of lncRNAs, in the future, other tools such as CRISPR and RNA interference have also been described as potential therapeutic strategies. —Juergen Eckhardt, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024

The first mention of CRISPR systems in a scientific article was in 1987. —The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2024

Many laureates went on to form startup companies to further expand and commercialize their groundbreaking work – for instance, CRISPR gene-editing technology and quantum dots– but the research, from start to end, wasn’t done in the commercial sphere. —Marc Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 11 Oct. 2024

In January 2024, Danaher teamed up with the Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI) to launch the Danaher-IGI Beacon for CRISPR Cures. —Demaris Mills, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024

By sequencing the fish’s genome and using CRISPR gene editing techniques, researchers were also able to identify the gene that’s responsible for their legs, tbx3a. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Sep. 2024

The team has also worked with the Broad to develop diagnostic tests for Lassa using the genome editor CRISPR. —Byjon Cohen, science.org, 9 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Clustered Regularly-Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats

First Known Use

2002, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

CRISPR

noun

ˈkris-pər 

variants also Crispr

1

: a segment of genetic material found in the genomes of prokaryotes that consists of repeated short sequences of nucleotides interspersed at regular intervals between unique sequences of nucleotides derived from the DNA of viruses (such as bacteriophages) which had previously infected the prokaryote and that functions to protect the prokaryote against future infection by the same viruses

Note: The CRISPR segment encodes, via transcription, short RNA sequences that pair with complementary sequences of viral DNA. The pairing is used to guide an enzyme to cleave the viral DNA and prevent further infection.

One of the most dramatic examples of short-term genome evolution can be seen in the CRISPR … loci of bacteria and archaea. CRISPRs serve as a defense against invading phages and plasmids, in a manner akin to adaptive immunity.

—David A. Relman, The New England Journal of Medicine

2

: a gene editing technique in which CRISPR and the RNA segments and enzymes it produces are used to identify and modify specific DNA sequences in the genome of other organisms

Gene editing refers to several novel ways to alter the DNA inside living cells. The most popular method, CRISPR, has been revolutionizing scientific research … and is likely to power a new generation of gene treatments for serious diseases.

—Antonio Regalado, MIT Technology Review

Note: This technique is sometimes called CRISPR-Cas9, which includes the name of the enzyme that cleaves DNA.

CRISPR-Cas9 works by "silencing" the part of the … gene that signals protein production.

—Hanae Armitage, Science