The biography of the Scientists that developed the CRISPR Gene Editing Technique.
The world of genetics and molecular biology has undergone a massive transformation over the past few decades, thanks to the groundbreaking work of scientists like Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier.
These two researchers and a team of other scientists started the development of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technique that has changed the field of genetic engineering.
In this biography, we will look closer at the lives and accomplishments of these two remarkable CRISPR scientists.
Read Also: The Biography of Dr LaSalle D Leffall Jr.
Early Life and Education of the CRISPR Scientists
Jennifer Doudna was born on February 19, 1964, in Washington, D.C. She spent her early years in Hilo, Hawaii, where her father was a professor of American Literature at the University of Hawaii.
From a young age, Doudna showed a keen interest in Science and loved the workings of the natural world.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Pomona College in Claremont, California. Doudna got her Ph.D. in biological chemistry from Harvard University in 1989.
However, Emmanuelle Charpentier was born on December 11, 1968, in Juvisy-sur-Orge, France.
She studied biochemistry and microbiology at the Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris, earning her Ph.D. in microbiology in 1995.
Professional Career of the CRISPR Scientists
Jennifer Doudna began her professional career as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Colorado, where she studied the structure and function of RNA molecules.
She also became a biochemistry and molecular biology professor at the University of California, Berkeley. She researched the molecular mechanisms of RNA processing and gene expression at the university.
Emmanuelle Charpentier began her career as a research scientist at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, where she researched the molecular mechanisms of bacterial infections.
But, she later worked at the University of Vienna and the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin, where she continued her research on bacterial pathogens.
Read Also: The Biography of Max Planck
Discovery of CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Editing Technique
In 2011, Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier began collaborating on a project that would ultimately lead to the discovery of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technique.
However, their work focused on a system bacteria use to defend themselves against viral infections.
They discovered that the system, known as CRISPR/Cas, could be adapted for use as a gene-editing tool in other organisms, including humans.
Their breakthrough research was published in Science in 2012, generating worldwide attention and acclaim.
The CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technique has since been used in countless research studies and can potentially change the treatment of genetic diseases.
Awards and Honors
Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier’s groundbreaking research on the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technique has received numerous awards and honors.
In 2014, they received the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences award. Also, in 2015, they were in Time magazine as part of the “100 Most Influential People in the World.”
Additionally, they received the Japan Prize in 2016 and the Kavli Prize in 2017.
Read Also: The Biography of James Clerk Maxwell
Impact and Legacy
The CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technique Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier developed can potentially transform medicine and genetics.
It is already used in research studies to study and treat various genetic diseases, including cancer, HIV, and sickle cell anemia.
Moreover, the technique could also create genetically modified crops that are more disease-resistant.
RELATED POST
The Biography of Jim Gray
The Biography of Stephen Hawking
Biography of Ernest Rutherford
The Biography of Michael Faraday
The Biography of Antoine Laurent