CRISPR's next advance is bigger than you think | Jennifer Doudna
Dec 12, 2023
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Biochemist Jennifer Doudna, a 2023 Audacious Project grantee, discusses the next advancement of CRISPR technology - precision microbiome editing. Her team aims to use CRISPR to solve issues like asthma, Alzheimer's, and climate change. This pioneering field of science shows promise in addressing global challenges through collaboration with microbes.
Precision microbiome editing using CRISPR technology has the potential to solve challenges like asthma, Alzheimer's, and climate change.
Precision microbiome editing can significantly reduce methane emissions and mitigate climate change while improving animal health.
Deep dives
Microbes: The Building Blocks with Endless Potential
Microbes, the tiny invisible creatures that cohabit our world, possess the potential to provide solutions to major challenges such as climate change and medical mysteries. Renowned biochemist Jennifer Doudna explores the captivating universe of microbes in her Ted 2023 talk. By blending cutting-edge research and scientific serendipity, Doudna introduces us to groundbreaking technologies that could redefine health, the environment, and collaborative efforts. The revolutionary CRISPR technology allows precise editing of DNA, offering the ability to modify genes in organisms. Furthermore, the fusion of CRISPR technology with metagenomics enables precision microbiome editing, which can uncover links between dysfunctional microbiomes and diseases, reduce methane emissions, and even prevent human diseases linked to the gut microbiome.
Addressing Climate Change and Animal Health through Microbiome Editing
Precision microbiome editing presents an opportunity to mitigate climate change and improve animal health. Livestock with specific microbiome compositions can significantly reduce methane emissions. Current interventions are costly and require daily actions. However, by modifying a calf's microbiome at birth using precision microbiome editing, its impact on the climate can be limited for the entirety of its life. This approach benefits farmers by enhancing feed-to-food conversion efficiency. Furthermore, precision microbiome editing can be applied to reduce methane emissions from various sources such as landfills, wastewater, and rice paddies. By addressing up to two-thirds of all methane emissions globally, this technology has the potential to make a substantial impact on the fight against climate change.
Precision Microbiome Editing: A Gateway to Human Health Advancements
Precision microbiome editing holds promise for revolutionizing human health. Studies have shown links between the gut microbiome and diseases like asthma, obesity, diabetes, and Alzheimer's. With precision microbiome editing, it becomes possible to develop non-invasive therapies that can eliminate asthma-inducing molecules in children at risk. These same approaches could be extended to address and prevent other diseases associated with the gut microbiome. By collaborating with nature and harnessing the power of CRISPR, precision microbiome editing aims to build a resilient future, offering transformative solutions for both human health and the environment.
You've probably heard of CRISPR, the revolutionary technology that allows us to edit the DNA in living organisms. Biochemist and 2023 Audacious Project grantee Jennifer Doudna earned the Nobel Prize for her groundbreaking work in this field — and now she's here to tell us about its next world-changing advancement. She explains how her team at the Innovative Genomics Institute is pioneering a brand new field of science — precision microbiome editing — that uses CRISPR in an effort to solve seemingly insurmountable problems like asthma, Alzheimer's and climate change. This ambitious idea is part of the Audacious Project, TED's initiative to inspire and fund global change.
