CRISPR Basics
What are the two components of a CRISPR system?
Guide RNA and Cas enzyme (Cas9)
What are the 3 major types of gene edits?
Disruption, Deletion, Correction
What long-term biological process is influenced by mutations and can alter the phenotype of a population in the long run?
Evolution
Compare somatic gene editing vs germline gene editing.
In somatic gene editing, only the individual being treated is affected. In germline gene editing, the organism and its descendants are affected.
Name one of the recipients of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Emmanuelle Charpentier or Jennifer Doudna
What is the difference between CRISPRi and CRISPRa?
CRISPRi inhibits gene expression, while CRISPRa activates gene expression
Describe the mechanism of DETECTR.
DETECTR is Cas-12 based. The complementary guideRNA binds to viral genes and detects SARS-CoV-2 in patient samples. (Answer must include points made in both sentences)
What is mosaicism?
Mosaicism is when only a portion of the target cells are successfully modified
In what type of organisms (give the domain name) is CRISPR naturally found?
Prokaryotes
Cas-13 prevents the production of what two biochemical substances that are part of the central dogma?
RNA and proteins (incorrect: DNA)
What does sgRNA stand for, and what CRISPR system is it used for?
Single Guide RNA; CRISPRi and/or CRISPRa
Alleles used in gene drive are often described as “selfish.” What does this mean?
They are inherited more often than regular alleles
What does CRISPR stand for?
Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats
What is the name of the Cas-13 based system that detects Zika and Dengue viruses?
SHERLOCK
From what bacteria is the CRISPRactivation system derived?
Streptococcus pyogenes (Also acceptable: Streptococcus or S. pyogenes)
What genetic process can quickly reduce pesticide resistance in various weeds?
Gene drive
Explain the role of the Cas9 protein in CRISPR.
Cas9 cuts the target DNA, allowing scientists to edit the section of DNA
The fictional disease Roost Syndrome results in shortening of human chromosome 1 by 0.001 millimeters. What type of DNA editing is probably responsible for this molecular change?
Deletion
In CRISPRi, what is the term for the Cas9-sgRNA complex that binds to DNA sequences and blocks expression of the target gene?
Steric block
Name one application of gene drive that is not reduction of pesticide resistance.
making invasive species sterile
increasing death rate of a species
decrease/kill off the mosquito population
(other)
Patient X is female, allergic to Cas13, and has Birdie Syndrome. In Birdie Syndrome, the person overexpresses the gene Crisp, making a protein product called CRISP. Low levels of CRISP are essential to life, but overly high levels can be fatal. What CRISPR process and Cas enzyme should you use to treat her? What organ should you not edit if it is accepted that germline editing is unethical? (there are three parts to the answer)
1. CRISPRi (they have to reduce gene expression without inactivating the gene)
2. Cas9 or dCas9
3. Ovaries