PET PET
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
Become a Friend Donate
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements
PETBioNewsReviewsPodcast Review: A Brief History of CRISPR — How we learned to edit the genome

BioNews

Podcast Review: A Brief History of CRISPR — How we learned to edit the genome

Published 12 April 2021 posted in Reviews and appears in BioNews 1093

Author

Devika Sooklall

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.

This genetic society podcast gives us a brief look into the history of genome editing and the various techniques that have been developed that have led us to where we are today...

This Genetics Society podcast gives us a brief look into the history of genome editing and the various techniques that have been developed that have led us to where we are today. The podcast also implies that the future is still very much unwritten when it comes to what genome editing is truly capable of.

Initially I was surprised to find that 'a brief history of CRISPR: how we learned to edit the genome' was not a conversation between experts but instead, host, Dr Kat Arney, chronologically taking us through the history of genome editing. From the early uses of restriction enzymes to today's base editing techniques. At times it felt more like listening to an audiobook than a podcast. Jovial sound effects when there were radical discoveries to menacing music when more questionable events occurred. It was an addition I liked, as this made the podcast feel like a dramatic retelling rather than a history lesson.

The podcast starts by looking over the first cases of genome editing and the early techniques that were developed. It swiftly investigates zinc finger nucleases in the 1980s and how ground-breaking they were, but not without limitations. Moving on to transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), I realised that this podcast was not that suitable for a non-scientific audience. While taking the time to explain concepts such as homologous recombination in DNA repair (a way of using undamaged DNA to repair a DNA break) and using clever analogies for genome editing (in comparison to editing a word document), it also used many technical terms colloquially, which might throw some people off.

When Dr Arney moved on to the discovery of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR), I was shocked to learn that many scientists were not impressed by the technique at first. It is a tale as old as time in science, discoveries pushed aside if not deemed interesting enough, but when the experiments were repeated, the true implications became apparent. Considering that this occurred just under 20 years ago, to hear that such scepticism for new ideas was still prevalent was an eye-opener.

Then came the drama of the 'patent wars', which made sense once I thought about it – where there are discoveries, there is also money to be made.

Professor Jennifer Doudna and Professor Emmanuelle Charpentier (see BioNews 1067) were widely credited with discovering the CRISPR/Cas9 approach, yet they only filed for a patent for its use on prokaryotic cells. When Professor George Church and Professor Feng Zhang filed for patents just months later for the same technique but under eukaryotic cells, court battles and drama ensued over who gets to own and ultimately license the CRISPR/Cas9 approach. Sadly, this legal battle is still ongoing today.

Of course, you can't talk about the history of genome editing and not mention the now infamous case surrounding Dr He Jiankui. Having been sentenced to three years in prison and a substantial fine, he was the first to go against the law and have genome-edited embryos carried to term, resulting in the world's first twins who were supposedly HIV resistant (see BioNews 977).

I remember when this happened, my tutor asked whether I had heard the shocking news since it was relevant to my dissertation. This wasn't simply a matter of advancing genome editing, but was using its potential in untested and unethical ways, forever altering people lives. Unfortunately, He may not have been as successful as he initially stated as the cells were not 'edited uniformly' and so it is unknown how many cells were edited or if the twins have any immunity to HIV at all.

The podcast finishes by talking about the breakneck speed at which genome editing is progressing. A note that Dr Arney mentions is how what has been achieved today would have seemed like science fiction 100 years ago. I cannot help but think how correct she is and it has made me wonder, with the speed we are progressing, and the fact that genome-edited babies are no longer a 'question of if but when', what will it be like another 100 years from now.

Overall, it was an enjoyable listen. It covered everything in great depth, with storytelling that was enhanced by the music choices and narration by Dr Arney. As previously stated, I would recommend this to people who like genetics or have a scientific background, as some terms may be a little confusing for the uninitiated. But do not let that put you off – a bit of Googling never hurt anyone.

Sources and References

  • 08/04/2021
    Genetics Unzipped
    A brief history of CRISPR: how we learned to edit the genome

Related Articles

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
News
10 December 2021 • 3 minutes read

New CRISPR methods with potential for microbiome genome editing

by Christina Burke

Researchers have developed several new CRISPR techniques to modify the genomes of bacterial populations on a large scale...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
News
17 September 2021 • 2 minutes read

Over one million potential genome-editing enzymes discovered in microbes

by Dr Rosie Morley

Researchers looking for evolutionary ancestors of enzymes used in the CRISPR genome-editing approach have uncovered over one million potential genome-editing enzymes...

PET BioNews
Reviews
23 August 2021 • 4 minutes read

Radio Review: Genetic Dreams, Genetic Nightmares

by Anna Wernick

Hosted by Professor Matthew Cobb of the University of Manchester, Genetic Dreams, Genetic Nightmares took me back to his lectures during my undergraduate degree there...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
Reviews
12 April 2021 • 3 minutes read

Podcast Review: Humanity's Awesome, Terrifying Take-Over of Evolution

by Dr Alexander Ware

This is something of a meta-review, as the podcast is purportedly a review of a book. The podcast is primarily a gently meandering discussion between journalist and author...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
Reviews
12 April 2021 • 4 minutes read

Book Review: The Code Breaker — Jennifer Douda, gene editing and the future of the human race

by Dr Eleanor Taylor

The genome editing capabilities of the CRISPR/Cas9 approach have created an enormous amount of excitement and an equal amount of concern within the scientific community. It is therefore unsurprising that this contentious form of biotechnology has entered the cultural zeitgeist and become a key topic of public interest...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
Reviews
19 March 2021 • 4 minutes read

Event Review: Spotlight on CRISPR

by Dr Eleanor Taylor

As part of the 'Spotlight on….' series, the MIT Technology Review recently focused their attention on the genome editing 'supertool' CRISPR...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
Comment
23 October 2020 • 5 minutes read

A Nobel for CRISPR genome editing — and for women scientists

by Professor Matthew Cobb

The widespread approval of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry is not just based on the enormous significance of the discovery, it is also because the award has been given to two women — the first time that this has happened for any Nobel prize...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

« Radio Review: Inside Science — Human embryo research and ethics

Data-Label The UK's Leading Supplier Of Medical Labels & Asset Labels

RetiringDentist.co.uk The UK's Leading M&A Company.

Find out how you can advertise here
easyfundraising
amazon

This month in BioNews

  • Popular
  • Recent
20 June 2022 • 5 minutes read

Documentary Review: Our Father

20 June 2022 • 4 minutes read

Podcast Review: How Far Could Genome Editing Go?

13 June 2022 • 3 minutes read

Podcast Review: Happy Mum Happy Baby – Tom Daley

13 June 2022 • 3 minutes read

Podcast Review: The Outlook – The shocking truth about my three dads

23 May 2022 • 4 minutes read

Documentary Review: Freezing Fertility

8 August 2022 • 4 minutes read

Podcast Review: Babbage – Editing the code of life

1 August 2022 • 3 minutes read

Podcast Review: Stories of Our Times – IVF, fraud and 'unwanted' children

25 July 2022 • 4 minutes read

TV Review: DNA Family Secrets – series two, episode six

18 July 2022 • 4 minutes read

TV Review: Spotlight – The babymaker uncovered

11 July 2022 • 4 minutes read

TV Review: DNA Family Secrets – series two, episode three

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
PET PET

PET is an independent charity that improves choices for people affected by infertility and genetic conditions.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Navigation

  • About Us
  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • BioNews
  • Events
  • Engagement
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us

BioNews

  • News
  • Comment
  • Reviews
  • Elsewhere
  • Topics
  • Glossary
  • Newsletters

Other

  • My Account
  • Subscribe

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856