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. This new system has been developed by scientists from UC Berkeley, who are working on developing it for use in human gene editing.
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.