Genome editing and the CRISPR/cas revolution (Prof. K. Förstemann)

  • Date: May 23, 2017
  • Time: 02:30 PM - 03:30 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Prof. Dr. Klaus Förstemann
  • Department Biochemie und Genzentrum München, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
  • Room: Herbert Walther Lecture Hall
  • Host: MPQ
I will present the origins of the prokaryotic (i.e. bacteria and archaea) CRISPR/cas systems, then describe how one particular variant (Streptococcus pyogenes cas9) has been adapted and optimized for use in eukaryotic cells.

After this technical aspect, I will review why genome editing is so beneficial, why CRISPR/cas has revolutionized its application and how it can be used to solve basic research questions. I will conclude with a discussion of possible applications beyond research (medicine, agriculture etc.) and thus open the debate of where society should (must?) impose limits on genome editing.

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