CRISPR-CAS explained:Projekt Oppotunity

  • Genetic variation is key to improved crops
  • Genetic variation can come from spontaneous mutations or induced mutations through classical breeding methods (e.g. random mutagenesis)
  • For various traits, no genetic variation exists in potato
  • We can use CRISPR-Cas to add genetic variation variation in already good varieties, without adding any new DNA to the genome
  • We design a guide, which is a small RNA molecule, with the aim to find the target spot where we want a mutation induced (a genetic location, DNA)
  • We add the gene scissor, which is an enzyme, to the guide to form a complex
  • The complex is transferred into a cell, where the guide find the genetic location and the gene scissor makes a cut at the spot
  • The complex is unstable and is broken down, and leaves the cell with a cut in the DNA (an injury)
  • The cell starts its own repair mechanism to take care of the injury, but sometimes repairs it different from how it looked originally = a mutation has been induced


Video "Kindly provided by Euroseeds und ASTA"


Video "Kindly provided by Max-Planck-Gesellschaft"
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