UC Berkeley and Berkeley Lab scientists have expanded the CRISPR gene-editing toolkit with the addition of a new, compact CRISPR-associated (Cas) protein—the RNA-guided “scissors” that snip DNA—and a modification of the Cas9 protein to give it an “on” switch for better control.
Scientists Mining JGI’s Metagenomes Find Miniature Molecular Scissors
By mining JGI’s massive database of microbial genomes and metagenomes, a team led by researchers at UC Berkeley and Berkeley Lab has identified a new family of CRISPR-associated (Cas) enzymes found in an ancient branch of the microbial tree of life. Just one-third the size of the seminal Cas9 protein – the business end of the gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 – the new enzymes, dubbed Cas14, are the smallest functional CRISPR system discovered to date. Owing to its compact size and single-stranded DNA cutting activity, Cas14 may improve rapid CRISPR-based diagnostic systems now under development for infectious diseases, genetic mutations, and cancer.
Jennifer Doudna Honored by American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society bestowed its highest accolade, the Medal of Honor, on Jennifer Doudna, a faculty scientist in Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging (MBIB), and four others during an October 18 ceremony in Washington, D.C. The medal is awarded to distinguished individuals who have made valuable contributions in the fight against cancer through basic research, clinical research, or public health interventions.
Doudna, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator and professor of molecular and cell biology and of chemistry at UC Berkeley, and Emmanuelle Charpentier of the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin were honored for their invention of the gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9, which has transformed basic cancer research and spawned new cancer therapies currently undergoing trials.
Read more from UC Berkeley News.
Jennifer Doudna Shares 2018 Kavli Prize in Nanoscience for CRISPR-Cas9
The Kavli Prize in Nanoscience, given every other year by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters and the Kavli Foundation, was awarded this year to Jennifer Doudna, a faculty biochemist in the Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging (MBIB) Division, and two colleagues who developed the powerful nanoscale tool CRISPR-Cas9 to edit DNA. The $1 million award, announced May 31, will be shared by Doudna, an HHMI investigator and professor of molecular and cell biology and of chemistry at UC Berkeley, Emmanuelle Charpentier of the Max Planck Society, and Virginijus Šikšnys of the Institute of Applied Enzymology in Vilnius, Lithuania. The 2018 Kavli Prizes will be awarded on September 4 in Oslo, Norway. “This prize recognizes the profound value of curiosity-driven research, and represents the contributions of our lab members. It’s an honor to share The Kavli Prize with my colleagues,” Doudna said. Read the UC Berkeley news release.
Biosciences Researchers Honored by the National Academy of Sciences
Three scientists affiliated with the Biosciences Area have been recognized by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), one as the recipient of an NAS award and two as newly elected members. On Sunday, the NAS formally presented its 2018 NAS Award in Chemical Sciences to Jennifer Doudna, a faculty biochemist in the Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging (MBIB) Division. Judith Campisi, a biochemist affiliated with Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Ehud “Udi” Isacoff, an MBIB faculty biologist, are among the group of 84 new members elected to the NAS.
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