Those familiar with the concept of gene editing may be familiar with the tool known as CRISPR, which researchers use to actually modify the genomes of living organisms.
While the technology is by no means mature — it received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020 — University of Florida researchers have identified a major improvement that could allow the tool to target virtually any sequence in an organism’s DNA.
The implications are huge for such research areas as cancer detection and infectious disease testing. The team showed they could spot tiny mutations in cancer genes that current methods often miss. Detecting these mutations early could mean earlier diagnoses and better treatment of a variety of cancers.