Chinese scientists have made a breakthrough in CRISPR research

as the basic genetic material of life, the precise editing and rapid detection of DNA has always been highly valued. In recent years, with the discovery and development of CRISPR/Cas9 systems, new hopes have been rekindled for gene therapy, and despite some potential safety risks and ethical disputes, CRISPR/Cas9 systems have begun to be used in clinical studies because of their relative precision and efficiency. At the same time, scientists are beginning to introduce CRISPR systems into the field of rapid nucleic acid detection, hoping to bring breakthroughs to existing clinical diagnostic techniques.published online March 12, the latest research paper by the Zhao Guoping Research Group of the Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences/Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, entitled "Cas12a combines smooth and trans-single DNA cutting activity" (CRISPR-Cas12a has both cis-and trans-cleavage activities on single-DNA). In this study, the author studies Cas12a's cutting characteristics of target single-stranded DNA and non-target single-stranded DNA in depth, and proposes a molecular model of Cas12a cutting single-stranded DNA.
study found that once Cas12a formed a thymogen complex with crRNA and target DNA, the complex showed strong "indiscriminate" activity and cut any single strand of DNA in the system into pieces. Based on this finding, researchers can easily develop test kits to detect a variety of target DNA for fast, sensitive, low-cost, and simple clinical diagnostic purposes.
recent years, the research team of Zhao Guoping, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has focused on the development and application of synthetic biology enabling technologies, developed a number of methods for DNA editing and testing, and actively promoted these methods for clinical research.
the study was funded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences Pilot Special ("Technical Methods for Artificial Chromosome Construction and Stability of Genetics"), the Chinese Academy of Sciences Youth Innovation Promotion Association and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. (Source: Science Network Huang Xin)