A Conversation with Feng Zhang.

Dr. Zhang: Our work looks at the diversity of CRISPR systems. CRISPR is not a single system; there are many different types. This new system is something where a transposable element called Tn7 has, over the course of evolution, co-opted a CRISPR so that it can use the RNA targeting mechanism of CRISPR to spread itself to viruses or plasmids. By studying the molecular mechanism of this, we realized that it’s a potentially programmable way to be able to introduce DNA into the genome. One of the major hurdles of gene editing is we can cut DNA, but introducing DNA into the genome in a precise way has been challenging. Using these transposable elements that are RNA-guided, there’s the potential to develop a new genome-editing tool.