Genetic engineering might sound intimidating, but we're here to make it simple, accurate, and exciting—especially when it comes to CRISPR-Cas9. Our goal is to explain how it works and explore some of its most fascinating real-world applications.

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What is Genetic Engineering? 

Genetic engineering sounds complicated, but is really just the process of altering an organism's DNA through laboratory techniques. This mechanism can also be called gene therapy (Smith, 2024) and was first introduced in 1982 with the development of genetic engineering on human insulin to treat diabetes (FDA, 2024). This process may involve changing base pairs, deleting a region of DNA or adding a new segment of DNA, which helps individuals acquire desired traits. 

History of Genetic engineering ...

Zinc Finger Nucleases 

The first gene editing enzyme was Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFN), which are proteins that bind and recognise a specific sequence of DNA, illustrated by the yellow spots. This recognition is achieved by binding a triplet of zinc fingers to nine base pairs on each DNA strand. To cut the DNA, ZFN uses an enzyme called Fok1, as seen in the image by the blue scissors (Lanigan et al., 2020). 

TALENs (Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nucleases) 

TALENs (Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nucleases) soon followed, incorporating structural modifications that enhanced DNA recognition called TALEN, theses make it more efficient at recognising and binding to specific DNA sequences. They use the same enzyme to cut the DNA as Zinc finger nuclease called Fok1 as seen as the diamond shape in the image. 

What is CRISPR-Ca9 ?

pronounced: CRISP  ER  Cas  9 

CRISPR-Cas9 is like tiny molecular scissors that scientists can use to cut DNA at a specific spot. This allows them to remove, add, or change pieces of DNA in a cell.

  • CRISPR is a guide that tells the scissors where to cut.

  • Cas9 is the actual scissors that do the cutting.

 The process : How DNA is engineered 

How is the DNA cut and engineered using new technology?

  Find out here

Image : (gene, 2025)

Applications in medicine: Sickle Cell Treatment 

Learn about the process of the new life-saving Sickle Cell Anaemia treatment.

 

Image: (Bionity.com, 2025)

Agricultural Enhancement Technologies

How is Genetic engineering used to better agricultural performance? helping to improve global food security 

Image: (daniellegalvin, 2022)

 "The level of public education on these topics plays a crucial role in shaping opinions".

 The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations

(Hoban, 2004)

Contact us

Get in touch to ask any genetic engineering-related questions you have or any questions regarding new genetic discoveries. 

References:

FDA (2024) Science and History of GMOs and Other Food Modification Processes. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/food/agricultural-biotechnology/science-and-history-gmos-and-other-food-modification-processes. (Accessed 7 May 2025)

Smith, M (2024) Genetic engineering. Genome.gov. Available at: https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Genetic-Engineering. (Accessed 1 May 2025)

Hoban, T (2004) Public Attitudes towards Agricultural Biotechnology.  Available at: https://www.fao.org/4/ae064e/ae064e00.pdf (Accessed 1 May 2025)

Lanigan, T. M., Kopera, H. C. & Saunders, T. L (2020) Principles of Genetic Engineering. Genes, 11(3), p. 291.

Wah, D. A., Bitinaite, J., Schildkraut, I. & Aggarwal, A. K (1998) Struture of FokI has implications for DNA cleavage. Proceedings of the national academy of sciences, 95(18), pp. 10564-10569.

Carlson, D.F., Tan, W., Hackett, P.B. and Fahrenkrug, S.C (2014) Editing livestock genomes with site-specific nucleases. Reproduction, Fertility and Development, 26(1), p.74

Yeadon, J (2014) Pros and cons of ZNFs, TALENs, and CRISPR/Cas. Available at: https://www.jax.org/news-and-insights/jax-blog/2014/march/pros-and-cons-of-znfs-talens-and-crispr-cas#
(Accessed 1 May 2025).

IMAGES :

Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI) (2017) Zinc-finger nuclease (ZFN). Available at: https://innovativegenomics.org/glossary/zinc-finger-nuclease-zfn/. (Accessed 6 May 2025)

ISAAA (n.d.) COVID-19 Treatment Efforts Using Plant Technologies. Available at: https://www.isaaa.org/resources/publications/pocketk/59/default.asp. (Accessed 6 May 2025)

Gene (2025) Genetic Engineering Images – Browse 854,926 Stock Photos, Vectors, and Video. Adobe Stock. Available at: https://stock.adobe.com/search?k=genetic+engineering (Accessed 30 April 2025).

Bionity.com (2025) A novel strategy to generate useful chiral compounds.  Available at: https://www.bionity.com/en/news/1166971/a-novel-strategy-to-generate-useful-chiral-compounds.html (Accessed 30 April 2025).

Danielle galvin (2022) What could happen next amid the DNA lab bungle investigation. 4BC. Available at: https://www.4bc.com.au/what-could-happen-next-amid-the-dna-lab-bungle-investigation/ (Accessed 30 April 2025).