• Question: How do you turn genes on and off?

    Asked by Mestres690 to Max on 6 Mar 2018. This question was also asked by kacey-brooke.
    • Photo: Max Jamilly

      Max Jamilly answered on 6 Mar 2018:

      AWESOME question. I do this using a technology called CRISPR.

      Genes are like chapters in a book. Each chapter makes a different protein. CRISPR is programmable, so I can tell it the page numbers corresponding to the gene chapter that I want to shut down. Then the CRISPR molecules will find that chapter and cover up the pages so the cell can’t read them.

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