CRISPR: The Answer to Climate Change?š
Iām sure all of you have heard about climate change and the implications of it in our life. From the devasting forest fires that occurred earlier in the Amazon and currently in Australia threatening thousands of species to the disastrous flood and cyclones, Mother Earthš is trying to send us a message and maybe itās time we open our eyes and address this issue!
CRISPR in a Nutshellš„
CRISPR: Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats ā is a gene-editing tool that can alter DNA sequences and modify gene function that has received a lot of hype lately! But whatās the hype about?
To recap, CRISPRs are specialized stretches of DNA that consist of the protein Cas9 which is an enzyme that acts like a pair of molecular scissors, capable of cutting these strands and a guide RNA that can recognize the sequence of DNA that can be used to be edited. What this basically means is that first scientists identify a specific sequence in the human genome that is posing as a health problem and create a specific guide RNA to recognize these combinations of Aās, Tās, Cās and Gās in the DNA. This guide RNA is then attached to the CAS9 enzyme that targets these sequences and cuts the DNA at which point the genome can be modified by adding or deleting sequences.
Butās it not just cut and paste. CRISPRās different from any of the other traditional methods of genetic engineering because
- Allows genes to be edited simultaneously
- Delivers protein to particular genes to fine-tune/polish their activity
- Conventionally, a gene called a marker had to be inserted to identify the cells that were successfully edited while CRISPR can make markerless changes
Essentially, CRISPR has the potential to correct genetic defects, treat diseases and also improve crops.
Now letās see how this tool can be used to build new pathways to tackle the environmental challenges caused by climate change!
1.) Biofuelsš©
The use of bioenergy is a promising solution to the worldās energy crisis as plant and animal by-products can be a very useful resource for the generation of energy making biofuel one of the cheapest ways to generate fuels. Plants, Bacteria and Algae have the potential to produce this fuel. For example, algae are organisms that have the potential to store energy- if starved from certain nutrients and so a group of researchers from California used CRISPR to knock out 18 transcription factors in algae that regulated lipid production resulting in the lipid production being doubled and the means to store energy more efficiently. Another use case is increasing the efficiency of cells that already produce biofuels and accelerating the process like certain bacteria who feed on waste or plants whose cell walls produce methane.
2.) Bioplasticsš„¤
Other than fuels, plastics are also major pollutants for the environment, and with the demand for plastics only going up, we need an organic-based alternative or a bioplastic. Fortunately, certain bacteria produce Polyhydroxyalkanoates or microbial polyester which are essentially bioplastics. Recently, CRISPR was used to genetically engineer the bacterial species, Ralstonia Eutropha, improving bioplastic production while there are also many experiments being done on synthesizing plastics using CRISPR.
3.) Biosensing & Bioremediationš
Taking hundreds of years to decompose, plastics are not ideal posing as a threat to many species and our environment itself. But microbes could be genetically engineered to help degrade plastics as some fungi and bacteria have naturally evolved to decompose specific compounds found in plastic. CRISPR could be used to enhance this process. This procedure can also be used to clean up oil spills, improving wastewater treatment and maybe even genetically engineering plants to sink more carbon. Biosensing is where microbes or plants are equipped with sensors or any means to detect any invasive compounds that posing as a threat to the environment that can then be dealt with. This is currently being used to diagnose illnesses such as Alzheimer's and cancer at an early stage, so they can be treated effectively or prevented entirely.
4.) Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissionsā½
Greenhouse gases are one of the main causes of global warming and with the help of CRISPR, we can address the biological sources of these gas emissions. Methane is a greenhouse gas that has several producers like cattle, goat, sheep but is thought mainly to come from bacteria. Some of them reside in wetlands, guts of cows or flooded fields of rice. The genetics of the cows or the grass they eat can be tweaked so less methane is produced while rice can also be genetically modified to restrict bacterial growth keeping more methane in the ground.
These are not all but some of the ways that this powerful gene-editing tool can be used to develop technologies that can help protect the environment. With unlimited use-cases of this technology, the possibilities are endless! But, as with any new technology, it will be important to discuss the ramifications and benefits of using CRISPR to solve these environmental problems.
Key Takeaways
- With the human population constantly increasing and so our demand for resources, our environment is drastically being affected and newer technologies that are more sustainable and efficient are being developed
- CRISPR is a gene-editing tool that can modify or alter DNA-sequence with the potential to correct genetic defects, treat diseases and also improve crops
- Biofuels and Bioplastics can be genetically engineered using CRISPR by modifying genes of plants and bacteria, reducing our dependence on non-renewable resources such as fossil fuels
- Biosensors can be used to detect the presence of bioweapons or pathogens that are polluting the environment
- The genetics of cattle and grass can be tweaked to produce less methane which is one of the most potent greenhouse gases that are polluting our environment
