CRISPR

CRISPR Cas9 explained. CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) are segments of prokaryotic DNA containing short repetitions of base sequences. is an RNA-guided gene-editing platform that makes use of a bacterially derived protein (Cas9) and a synthetic guide RNA to introduce a double strand break at a specific location within the genome.

Cas9 is an enzyme that snips DNA, and CRISPR is a collection of DNA sequences that tells Cas9 exactly where to snip.

Crispr, not just for gene editing

October 30, 2020
Jennifer Newton | Chemistry World

Illustration of Crispr-Cas activity

Crispr–Cas is part of an ancient bacterial immune system that detects and chops up invading viruses’ DNA. Source: © Science Photo Library

Thanks to the 2020 chemistry Nobel prize, Crispr–Cas systems will...

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During campus visit, U.S. representatives vow to fight freeze on federal research funding

February 24, 2025
By Robert Sanders | UC Berkeley media relations
East Bay Rep. Lateefah Simon and Los Angeles Rep. Ted Lieu visited the Innovative Genomics Institute for a tour and briefing.

Jennifer Doudna awarded Nobel Prize in Chemistry

October 7, 2020
UC Berkeley, College of Chemistry Press Release

Portrait of Jennifer Doudna

Jennifer Doudna, 2020 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry. photo: Keegan Houser

For immediate release

The College of Chemistry is delighted to announce that biochemist Jennifer Doudna was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry today, sharing it with colleague Emmanuelle Charpentier...

At UC Berkeley, Dem House members gather evidence to fight cuts to world-leading research

February 24, 2025
Joe Garofoli, Senior Political Writer SF Chronicle
Days before they return to Washington to cast votes on the GOP-crafted budget, two California House members toured the Innovative Genomics Institute research lab at UC Berkeley Friday morning, in order to get a look at the real-life impacts of Republicans' goal to whack $4 billion from the National Health Institute.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/joegarofoli/article/uc-berkeley-lab-federal…

Doudna receives National Medal of Technology and Innovation

January 7, 2025
College of Chemistry
President Biden awarded Jennifer Doudna the National Medal of Technology and Innovation as a pioneer of CRISPR gene editing.

New CRISPR Center brings hope for rare and deadly genetic diseases

January 10, 2024
Jess Berthold | UCSF
Jennifer Doudna and colleagues CRISPR collaboration combines expertise from three UC schools to scale treatment for diseases that industry has largely passed by – until now.

The future of biochemistry

January 12, 2018
College of Chemistry News
The ACS January 2018 Special Biochemistry Issue has included College of Chemistry professors Ming Hammond, Evan Miller, and David Savage

Jennifer Doudna opens lab at the Gladstone Institutes

September 5, 2018
By Julie Langelier

Jennifer Doudna

Biochemist Jennifer A. Doudna, PhD, has revolutionized biomedical research—and so many other fields—by first unlocking the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technique in 2012. Now, she is moving part of her research efforts to the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco, where she will launch new...

Meet our alumni: David Liu

March 29, 2023
Manuel Ansede | El Pais
Alumnus David Liu

Photo of David Liu via wikipedia. Uncredited.

"We can correct the vast majority of DNA errors that cause genetic diseases"

The Harvard University magazine published almost a couple of decades ago that one of its professors, the chemist...