KCBS In Depth: 'Game Changing' DNA-Editing Technology Booms In The Bay Area And Beyond
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — In 2012, a revolutionary new "DNA scissors" technology was discovered at UC Berkeley by Dr. Jennifer Doudna and since then, it has exploded in popularity.
The technology, referred to at CRISPR/Cas9, allows researchers to manipulate genes within individual cells—tuning them on and off to figure out how they work, how defects cam be corrected—and make experimentation quicker and less expensive.
Scientists have referred to it as the "holy grail" of genetic engineering and a "jaw-dropping" breakthrough in the fight against genetic disease.
KCBS In Depth's Jane McMillan talks with Dr. Doudna, the executive director of the University Of California's Innovative Genomics Initiative (IGI), about how the technology works and its applications for the future.
LISTEN: