UC Berkeley

CRISPR is a developing technology in the field of biology that can be used for a variety of purposes. Much of the research in CRISPR is focused on implementing the technique directly into humans to cure a disease. An equally important use of CRISPR in model organism models and in reverse-engineering pathogens. CRISPR plays a very important role in genetically engineering organisms to better match the phenotypes of the disease in humans. There are several examples of this in diseases such as Huntington’s Disease, Neurodegenerative Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Phenylketonuria, Duchenne Muscular Disease, Hemophilia B, and Cardiovascular Disease. Currently, the most used animal model for the diseases listed above is the mouse model. In this paper, we explore how porcine (pig) models in general can be genetically modified through CRISPR techniques to better represent these diseases. In fact, animals that have been genetically modified for better representation yield better results and push the research closer. While CRISPR can help modify organisms, it can also play a role in organisms at a different front. CRISPR can also be used to reverse-engineer pathogenic/disease-causing populations to decrease the spread of disease. Two examples where this method of CRISPR can be used are in bacterial populations to reverse antibiotic resistance and in mosquito populations to reverse the spread of malaria. This method is really useful, in comparison to extinguishing an entire species, as the niche in the ecosystem is still filled without affecting the human population negatively.