#crispr

#crispr

Known by scientists as 'parthenogenesis', this natural form of asexual reproduction lets healthy offspring develop from a female's unfertilised eggs. Only last month, a female lizard at a zoo near Birmingham gave birth to eight hatchlings, despite never having been in contact with a male. But virgin births have already occurred in a wide range of animals such as sharks, snakes, crocodiles, crustaceans, scorpions and wasps.

CRISPR screening is extremely effective at finding important factors in obesity and metabolism that could become therapeutic targets, showcasing the potential of microproteins.

The MYC oncogene drives tumor growth and resistance in over half of human cancers. MYC inhibitors like MYCi975 show promise in pre-clinical trials.

Large-scale genome-wide association studies have identified many complex trait loci related to autoimmune, metabolic, and infectious diseases, yet assigning function to non-coding variants remains challenging.

CRISPR offers more control than viral carriers do, but typically requires the cutting of DNA - raising the chances of unwanted mutations and incomplete repair.