Advancements in Genetic Editing Technology

So this is a precision tool that now allows, uh,

us to take this protein RNA complex and

introduce it into cells or tissues to

correct mutations at sites where we know there's a

deleterious change in the genetic code.

So I wanted to show you an example of how this can be utilized.

This, um, protein complex can actually be injected

directly into fertilized eggs of a mouse, and in the

experiment, you'll see we're targeting a gene that is

responsible for the black coat color in mice.

And so normally these mice have beautiful glossy black coats,

and once we make this targeted change, we then

implant these edited eggs back into a, a female

mouse, and when she gives birth to pups, you'll see that

the pups are now mostly white. And the remarkable thing about this

experiment is that the... when these mouse-- mice grow up, you can

test them and show that every cell in the body has this

single

genetic change that gives rise to the white coat color, but otherwise

they're absolutely normal. So they are normal mice,

no mutations elsewhere in the

genome. This is a type of experiment that used to take a-at least

a year to create, uh, a mouse like this, and now it can be done in a few

weeks, um, and by people that don't have to have special

expertise. So this is a, uh, technology has over the...

it's been very exciting over the last two and a half years to see this technology

taking off. These are publications.

In the scientific literature, it's, uh, been sort of exponential growth of

publications, people using this technology for all sorts

of

applications. And so, uh, some of these include

making changes in targeted genetic changes in plants,

in, uh, fungi, in, uh, animals that are important

agriculturally, impo-- in animals that are important to us as pets.

Um, and also for in thinking about human

health, also, uh, to do things

like make changes in stem cells, which are cells that can give rise

to new organs. Uh, also to make changes in

animals that are important as, uh, models of human disease, such as

mice and monkeys. And we think within the not too distant

future, it will be

possible to actually use this technology to make changes in human