Bio - CRISPR and mRNA vaccine

what does CRISPR stand for

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats

Palindromic repeats

Short DNA sequences that are copied over and over again
Palindromic means it is read same back and forth

Spacers

Pieces of DNA in between palindromic repeats that contain DNA from previous viruses

How does CRISPR work

Spacers detect early signs of virus
mRNA finds the spacer
Cas protein (enzyme) cuts it out

Why is CRISPR better than plasmids and restriction enzymes

More precise (RE adds extra DNA which could go to the wrong place and mess up other genes)
Easier and quicker (less steps)
Can change several genes at once
Cheaper

What can CRISPR do

Cure genetic diseases (Cystic fibrosis)
Remove undesirable genes (Baldness and depression)
Modify immune cells
Recreate extinct animals

How does CRISPR detect illness

Cas 9 and the gene is added, if it binds to DNA then there is the illness

Vaccines

Dead/weakened diseases injected into the body

Antibodies

Attack viruses before they get the chance to duplicate

Advantages of mRNA vaccine

mRNA can not enter nucleus so our DNA is safe
No virus is directly injected
Only a small bit is produced

Sequence of mRNA creation

Sequence the DNA of virus
External protein must be located
mRNA is made by copying RNA or transcribing DNA

External protein

Protein not normally made in the body
Foreign protein