CRISPR, short for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, is a natural defense mechanism found in bacteria, which they use to protect themselves from viral infections. Scientists have harnessed this mechanism to edit DNA, enabling precise modifications to the genome. The system works by utilizing a guide RNA to direct the Cas9 enzyme to a specific location in the genome, where it makes a cut, allowing for the addition, deletion, or alteration of genetic material.
