8

“It’s really amazing how quickly PHOTO: DEREK HENTHORN FOR MPG; ILLUSTRATION: HENNING BRUER research into CRISPR-Cas9 and its possible applications has developed in recent years.”

Max Planck Research · 3 | 2020 NOBEL PRIZE IN CHEMISTRY

EMMANUELLE CHARPENTIER

CRISPR-Cas9 as an adaptive im- also relatively straightforward in mune system that bacteria and ar- terms of its operation, it’s hard to chaea use to defend themselves imagine laboratory work without it CRISPR-Cas9 contains two molecules of RNA from attacks by viruses. In 2011, nowadays. However, CRISPR-Cas9 that can be combined Emmanuelle Charpentier and her has not only revolutionized basic into a single molecule. research groups, who were con- research, but has also become an A recognition sequence ducting joint research at Umeå indispensable tool in medicine, matching a specific University and the University of biotechnology, and agriculture. In- 9 sequence on the DNA Vienna at the time, described deed, physicians around the world strand directs the enzyme Cas9 to the location where tracrRNA – an RNA molecule that are working flat out to convert the it should cut the strand. activates the CRISPR-Cas9 CRISPR-Cas9 technology into system. A year later, Charpentier therapies for as-yet-untreatable and Doudna published their fin- diseases. Microorganisms with dings describing exactly how modified genetic material are in- CRISPR-Cas9 homes in on the tended to improve the efficiency of correct location in the DNA strand food and medicine production. With some discoveries, it seems like it and how the system can be used as And agricultural crops whose ge- will only be a matter of time before a tool for modifying genetic mate- netic material has been modified they are honored with the Nobel rial. using CRISPR-Cas9 promise Prize, and the CRISPR-Cas9 higher yields and greater resis- gene-editing scissors were one The key discoveries that paved the tance to diseases and environmen- such discovery. In early October, way for the award are therefore just tal impacts. the time had finally come: the nine years old. This unusually Royal Swedish Academy of Sci- short time frame for the awarding But as with any new technology, the ences awarded the Nobel Prize in of a Nobel Prize serves as a testa- gene-editing scissors also involve Chemistry 2020 to Emmanuelle ment to the colossal importance of some risks. So far, there has been Charpentier for her work on the research conducted by Em- barely any research into the envi- CRISPR-Cas9. She shares the manuelle Charpentier and Jennifer ronmental impacts of the release of prize with Jennifer Doudna, a mo- Doudna. In the ensuing period, re- genome-edited plants and animals. lecular biologist at the University searchers have refined CRISPR- Moreover, the genetic modifica- of California, Berkeley. Charpen- Cas9 into a precise genetic tool tion of cells in the human germline tier is the Director of the Max that can correct defective DNA as (e.g. to create “designer babies”) is Planck Unit for the Science of easily as if it were a document in a highly controversial from an ethi- Pathogens in Berlin and is consid- word-processing program. This cal perspective. It is up to society ered one of the world’s leading ex- technique is therefore also referred and political leaders to weigh up perts on the infectivity and immu- to as genome editing and can be the pros and cons of genome edi- nity of pathogenic bacteria. In the used to study a whole host of scien- ting and to establish a legal frame- 2000s, researchers identified tific questions. As the method is work for its use.

Max Planck Research · 3 | 2020