Powerful tool for genetic engineering
Friday, November 22, 2013 - 20:30
in Biology & Nature
Viruses cannot only cause illnesses in humans, they also infect bacteria. Those protect themselves with a kind of "immune system" which -- simply put -- consists of specific sequences in the genetic material of the bacteria and a suitable enzyme. Scientists have now shown that the dual-RNA guided enzyme Cas9 which is involved in the process has developed independently in various strains of bacteria.