Scientists at the university of California , Berkeley have improved the security of gene - editing tool CRISPR - Cas9 . The system , dubbed ProCas9 , includes an additional protein which can only be cut with a particular enzyme before the enzyme is activated , creating a biomolecular barrier . ben Arkin , emeritus professor of bioengineering , said ProCas9 can be used to modify or repair specific enzyme - associated cells .
Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley have improved the security of gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9. The system, dubbed ProCas9, includes an additional protein which can only be cut with a particular enzyme before the tool is activated, creating a biomolecular lock. Adam Arkin, campus professor of bioengineering, said ProCas9 could be used to modify or destroy specific cancer-associated cells.