Beginner's guide to CRISPR- Cas9-based gene editing

Abstract

In the last 20 years since its discovery, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) has evolved from a mere bacterial immune system to a tool that can be programmed to achieve directed, efficient and sequence-specific modifications to the host genome. Its ease of use and minimum side effects to the cell lines are also a reflection of its ability to be extrapolated to medical environments, where it can be used for genetic modifications in the more complicated human genome. In research labs, CRISPR is now frequently used to achieve fast adjustments to host cell lines. It is used to knock in or knock out genes of interest and for generating models for genetic studies. This guide will help readers understand the basic requirements of a genome editing experiment using CRISPR-Cas components.