gene editing

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

the deliberate modification of the DNA sequence within an organism's genome using targeted molecular tools, enabling the insertion, deletion, correction, or replacement of specific nucleotide sequences with high precision; modern gene editing relies primarily on programmable nucleases — including CRISPR-Cas9, transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and zinc-finger nucleases — that are guided to specific genomic locations where they cut the DNA and trigger cellular repair mechanisms that can be harnessed to introduce desired changes; gene editing has applications in basic research, agriculture (developing disease-resistant crops), and medicine (treating inherited genetic disorders and certain cancers); ethical debates centre on germline editing in human embryos, whose effects would be heritable and permanent