permaculture

[Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>]

On Mon, Jul 4, 2016 at 5:45 AM, scrooge McDuck <declan@planetmail.net>
wrote:

> What often horrifies me is where they get these 'crisper genes' from -
> often from sources we would do more than raise an eyebrow at. I have few
> facts, but I'm not comfortable with what I do know.
>
> Regards
>
> Declan Moriarty.
>
> *Sent:* Sunday, July 03, 2016 at 10:13 PM
> *From:* "Lawrence London" <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>
> *To:* permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
> *Subject:* [permaculture] Crisper gene technology - are there
> (John d'Hondt: Will this new powerful gene modification technology have
> implications for permaculture, changing the genetic makeup pf generations
> of organisms, including those in the wild?)
>
> Crisper gene technology - Google Search
> https://www.google.com/search?q=Crisper+gene+technology&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
>

>From Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR
CRISPR
>From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Crispr.png>
Diagram of the CRISPR prokaryotic antiviral defense mechanism.[1]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR#cite_note-pmid20056882-1>

*Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats* (*CRISPR*,
pronounced *crisper*[2]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR#cite_note-sawyer2013-2>) are segments
of prokaryotic <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prokaryotic> DNA
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA> containing short repetitions of base
sequences. Each repetition is followed by short segments of "spacer DNA
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacer_DNA>" from previous exposures to a
bacteriophage virus or plasmid <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasmid>.[3]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR#cite_note-pmid20125085-3>

The *CRISPR/Cas system* is a prokaryotic immune system
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immune_system> that confers resistance to
foreign genetic elements such as those present within plasmids
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasmids> and phages
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phage>,[4]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR#cite_note-4>[5]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR#cite_note-pmid17379808-5>[6]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR#cite_note-pmid19095942-6> and
provides a form of acquired immunity
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquired_immunity>. CRISPR spacers recognize
and cut these exogenous genetic elements in a manner analogous to RNA
interference <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNA_interference> in eukaryotic
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eukaryote> organisms.[3]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR#cite_note-pmid20125085-3> CRISPRs are
found in approximately 40% of sequenced bacterial
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacterial> genomes and 90% of sequenced
archaea <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaea>.[7]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR#cite_note-pmid17521438-7>[note 1]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR#cite_note-8>

By delivering the Cas9 <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cas9> nuclease and
appropriate guide RNAs into a cell, the cell's genome
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genome> can be cut at a desired location,
allowing existing genes to be removed and/or new ones added.[8]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR#cite_note-nature99-9>[9]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR#cite_note-vb99-10>[10]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR#cite_note-pmid26121415-11> CRISPRs
have been used in concert with specific endonuclease
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endonuclease> enzymes
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzymes> for genome editing
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genome_editing> and gene regulation in
species throughout the tree of life
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_life_%28biology%29>.[11]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR#cite_note-12>

Cas9 was the first nuclease discovered, followed by Cpf1, which was
discovered in the CRISPR/Cpf1 <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR/Cpf1>
system of Francisella novicida
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisella_novicida>.[12]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR#cite_note-pmid26422227-13>[13]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR#cite_note-pmid27096362-14> Other such
systems are thought to exist.[14]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR#cite_note-:3-15>

CRISPR/C2c2 from the bacterium Leptotrichia shahii
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusobacteria> is RNA-guided CRISPR system
that targets RNA rather than DNA, and can either cleave single-stranded RNA
targets or knock them down <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_knockdown>.
[15] <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR#cite_note-pmid27256883-16>

The CRISPR interference <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR_interference>
technique has many potential applications, including altering the germline
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germline> of humans, animals, and food
crops. The use of CRISPR for genome editing[16]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR#cite_note-17>[17]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR#cite_note-18> was the AAAS
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Association_for_the_Advancement_of_Science>'s
choice for breakthrough of the year in 2015.[18]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR#cite_note-19> Bioethical
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioethical> concerns have been expressed
about the prospect of using this nascent biotechnology for editing the
human germline.[19] <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR#cite_note-20>
<>
Bitter fight over CRISPR patent heats up : Nature News & Comment
<http://www.nature.com/news/bitter-fight-over-crispr-patent-heats-up-1.17961>
www.nature.com/news/bitter-fight-over-*crispr*-patent-heats-up-1.17961
Nature Jan 12, 2016 -
Use of the *technology* in research has exploded, thanks to *CRISPR*–Cas9's
relative simplicity and versatility compared to other gene-editing ...
<>
http://www.radiolab.org/story/antibodies-part-1-crispr/
Hidden inside some of the world’s smallest organisms is one of the most
powerful tools scientists have ever stumbled across. It's a defense system
that has existed in bacteria for millions of years and it may some day let
us change the course of human evolution.
<>

I listened to an interview on public radio last week with an (the?)
inventor of the CRISPR technology currently in intense development.
1) He insisted and will campaign for development and use of CRISPR to be
completely in the public view, interactive with the public and not behind
closed doors. He said that this is the way forward for maximum progress
with and best use of CRISPR.
2) He described it this way. With conventional gene splcing the GMO
organism can eventually shed the modifications to its genetic makeup. With
CRISPR it can not.because it inserts a gene segment plus a tool (spacer)
that keeps it in place and protects it from evolutionary changes. In other
words it makes permanent changes to an organism's genome such that, as any
organism modified with CRISPR reproduces, those changes are retained in any
offspring and for generations forward. [this is my take on what he said
several days ago - I tried to find the interview and name of the researcher
but without luck],

So, Declan, what "questionable" materials are sourced for use in CRISPR.
BTW they are talking about modifications to the human genome with this
promising technology.  .
-- 
Lawrence F. London
lfljvenaura@gmail.com
https://sites.google.com/site/avantgeared/
https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/116100117925365792988/+Avantgeared/posts
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