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.