Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded for gene editing discovery

Nobel Prize for Chemistry 2020 Winners

Talking of awesome women…Have you ever heard of CRISPR? CRISPR is a relatively new gene editing discovery that has revolutionised the understanding of genes and the ‘code of life’.

It was great news to hear today that the Nobel Prize for Chemistry 2020 went to the two scientists, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Dounda, for developing the CRISPR method of gene editing, namely the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors. Researchers in many fields of science can now use these to change the DNA of animals, plants and micro-organisms with extremely high precision.

In medicine, the genetic scissors are contributing to new immunotherapies for cancer and trials are underway to make a dream come true – curing inherited diseases. You can read more about what CRISPR does here.

I listened to a radio programme about CRISPR and the advances of gene editing and the programme covered the good and the bad. The bad news is that this technology can also be used by unscrupulous, bond-villan type scientists, not just the good gals. The world’s ethics committees have generally agreed not to use the gene editing technology on human embryos but…I’m sure you know that already happened at least once.

The technology is here to stay and it has been argued that one way or another, CRISPR is going to change all of our lives.