Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat: This mouthful of a name is also known as CRISPR. Along with TALENs, ZFNs and more, this powerful tool is used in genome editing. As the use of CRISPR is expanding, many ethical issues follow.
When the program started, I expected the atmosphere to be tense and competitive. Fortunately, this was not the case. Through this program, I have been provided the opportunity to meet other students who also have an interest in science. One thing that I love about the Hutch is it's diversity. Walking down the halls, you’ll see people from different age groups and races. This ties into how the Hutch offers many opportunities for all different types of people. Throughout this program, there was a constant reminder that making mistakes is okay. The students and teachers in this program were all very inviting, which made it easy for everyone to get comfortable with each other.
We were introduced to the CRISPR-Cas9 system during our second week of this program. The CRISPR-Cas9 system was originally found in bacteria, which kind of acted as their immune system. Bacteria uses CRISPR to remember the DNA of the foreign invaders, so if the same virus tries to attack again, the bacteria will be able to remember it, and figure out how to overcome it. After learning the basics of CRISPR and its functions, we were able to work with it in the lab. Many ethical questions arise when the topic of gene editing comes up, luckily we were able to have a discussion about this, to better understand the different perspectives people have on gene editing. With CRISPR, we were able to learn and apply its implications to cancer and how it is used in research. During the lab, we chose two gRNAs to cut the BRCA1 gene. We had to analyze the BRCA1 gene and predict the size of the bp fragments in which our gRNA of choice would cut. Following this, we ran a gel to either support or contradict our predictions. Below is a photo of our gel, we kind of messed up but that is okay!
Overall, my time at the Hutch has been spent with some pretty cool people! This program has allowed students to explore the world of cancer research, which made me realize that science can be many things. The labs that we did introduced me to new lab techniques and the science behind them. Touring the working labs and attending lectures at the Hutch really opened my eyes to research and the vast topics that are covered. All in all, being apart of this program was an amazing experience that I’ll never forget.
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