CRISPR, short for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, is a gene-editing technology that enables precise modification of DNA within living organisms. Adapted from a natural bacterial defense system, it uses the Cas9 enzyme guided by RNA to cut specific DNA sequences, allowing genes to be added, removed, or altered. Since its introduction in the early 2010s, CRISPR has revolutionized genetics research and biotechnology, offering potential treatments for inherited diseases, innovations in agriculture, and advances in synthetic biology.
For a few months this year, Cathy Tie and Dr. He Jiankui were biotech’s most controversial couple. Now, both are pursuing new gene-editing ventures on opposite sides of the world.
They call him China’s Frankenstein, which would make her the Bride of Frankenstein. Only she’s not allowed in China, and he’s not allowed to leave it.