The Power of CRISPR Cas9 Comes With Great Responsibility

Spiderman and CRISPR-Taming Chemist Amit Choudhary both tell us that "with great power comes great responsibility". In Amit's case, he speaks of power and responsibility with CRISPR gene editing technology.

Today, the gene editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 serves as a "genetic 'find and replace' function," that allows one to search and cut a DNA sequence at its precise location.

Yet, this powerful tool must be used with great responsibility, given that a misstep could have irreversible consequences. Amit has pioneered precision tools - small molecule inhibitors, activators, and shredders - to control Cas9 activity. Having successfully fine-tuned CRISPR activity with first generation technologies, Amit is eager to pave the way for everyone to benefit from this gene editing technology safely and responsibly.

Amit's journey with precision control tools for CRISPR-Cas9 demonstrates that responsible use of technology allows us to build solutions that are both effective and finely tuned.