Popular Science: A Tool for Rewriting the Code of Life-Interpreting the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, October 7 (Reporter Zhang Xiaoru) The 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to two female scientists on the 7th in recognition of their contributions in the field of genome editing methods.
The genome editing method here refers to the popular CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology.
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is an important genetic material. It has a helical double-stranded structure. The DNA fragments that contain genetic information and have a certain function on the DNA chain are genes.
Gene editing technology can break the DNA chain, modify it, and then reconnect it, just as people edit text when writing.
Because of the cutting operation on the DNA chain, this technology is vividly called "gene scissors".
Gene editing technology appeared as early as the 1990s, but it was once very time-consuming and even difficult to complete.
Using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology, the code of life-DNA can be changed within a few weeks.
The full name of CRISPR is "clustered, regularly spaced short palindrome repeats", which is a mechanism for bacteria to defend against virus invasion.
In 2012, French scientist Emmanuel Charpentier and American scientist Jennifer Mordner published research and pointed out that they developed CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology.
This technology subsequently became the first tool in the history of biomedicine that can efficiently, accurately, and programmatically modify the cell genome, including the human genome.
This technique uses ribonucleic acid (RNA) as a guide to bring the Cas9 enzyme to the corresponding position, and then use this enzyme to cut the viral DNA.
Compared with the previous technology, CRISPR/Cas9 technology has the advantages of low cost, easy to use, and high efficiency, which makes the pruning and modification of genes "common", so it has swept the entire biological world.
The scientific community generally believes that this is the most important breakthrough in biotechnology since the 21st century.
This technology has been shortlisted for three times in the top ten breakthroughs of the year by the American "Science" magazine, and was named the number one breakthrough of the year by the magazine in 2015.
Just like the "accident" that often happens in the scientific field, the discovery process of "gene scissors" is also unexpected.
When Charpentier was studying Streptococcus pyogenes, he discovered an unknown molecule-tracrRNA.
Her research shows that tracrRNA is part of the ancient immune system "CRISPR/Cas" of bacteria, which can "disarm" the virus by cutting the virus's DNA, thereby eliminating its harm.
Charpentier published the above research results in 2011.
In the same year, she began collaborative research with Dadna.
In an epoch-making experiment, they modified the "gene scissors".
In its natural form, this "scissors" can recognize the DNA in the virus.
But Charpontier and Dadner discovered that they can exercise control over the "scissors" so that they can cut any DNA molecule at any predetermined position.
Once the DNA is cut, rewriting the code of life becomes simple.
Since then, the use of "gene scissors" technology has exploded.
In the field of basic scientific research, with the application of this technology, many major achievements have emerged.
For example, plant researchers have developed crops that are resistant to mold, pests, and drought; in the medical field, clinical trials of new cancer treatments related to this technology are underway, and curing genetic diseases is expected to become a reality.
In general, the "gene scissors" technology has opened a new era for life science research and has benefited mankind in many ways.
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry Selection Committee stated in a press release on the 7th: “This gene editing tool has tremendous power and will affect each of us. It has not only triggered changes in the field of basic science, but also produced many innovative results. Bring innovative new treatment methods."