The best and worst analogies for CRISPR, ranked
Posted: December 10, 2017 at 8:42 pm
C
RISPR-Cas9 is complicated.
Thats why scientists, entrepreneurs, and journalists like me have spent the past few years reaching for metaphors to try to make the mechanics of the revolutionary genome-editing technology easier for laypeople to understand. In text and imagery, weve drawn parallels to everything from garage tools to divine interventions.
But it must be said: Some of these analogies are better than others. To compile the definitive ranking, I sat down with STATs senior science writer Sharon Begley, a wordsmith who has herself compared CRISPR to 1,000 monkeys editing a Word document and the kind of dog you can train to retrieve everything from Frisbees to slippers to a cold beer.
advertisement
Sharon and I evaluated each of the metaphors we found by considering these three questions: Is it creative? Is it clear? And is it accurate? Below, our rankings of CRISPR analogies, ordered from worst to best:
This is not how it works. This is not at all how it works.
We see where these marketers got started with their pun: Genetics researchers do indeed use the term knock out to refer to eliminating an existing gene in, say, a mouse.
But a blunt instrument like a boxing glove vastly undersells CRISPRs precision. It also suggests, wrongly, that CRISPRs powers extend to leaving genes bruised and battered. For these reasons, this ad wins the ignoble prize as the worst CRISPR metaphor we could track down.
The hand of God is a familiar trope to describe advances in biotech. Elucidating CRISPR this way is sinful.
If God were in the business of editing the genome, we expect that She would make fewer mistakes than CRISPR, which is known foroff-target effects. Were wondering, too, if the holy light emanating from the hand of a CRISPR-ing God is meant to imply that She is among those researchers interested in combining CRISPR with optogenetics?
Most damningly, though, this metaphor does nothing to explain how CRISPR actually works.
The framing of CRISPR as a method to remove ticking time bombs lurking within our DNA is true enough: Researchers do want to use the technology to take out genetic mutations that cause deadly diseases.
But this visual metaphor confuses the biology. The destructive power in DNA lies in the base pairs themselves, not in between them, where this red canister is placed. And again, this does nothing to shine light on CRISPRs mechanism of action.
We had high hopes for this analogy, which came courtesy of the National Institutes of Health. But alas, it mostly disappoints.
The idea, as we understand it, is that CRISPR-Cas9 acts to modify precisely the correct segments of DNA, similar to how a handyman uses a particular wrench to loosen or tighten a nut or bolt of a specific size and shape.
But were scratching our heads to come up with a real-life construction scenario where whats visualized here would actually happen.We get the sense that someone in pursuit of a fresh analogy came up with this one only after concluding that all the good analogies were already taken.
This analogy is so 2012. Sure, an eraser is a fine way to think about CRISPRs powers to delete. But that only goes halfway what about CRISPRs powers to add or replace? And it loses the physicality of CRISPR-Cas9s cutting action for no good reason. (In the interests of full disclosure, we must admit that STAT has used this one in the past. Apologies.)
The notion of CRISPR as a surgeons scalpel nicely captures its cutting action. But points are deducted for the suggestion that CRISPR is as precise as a surgeons tool must be.
We like the simple explanatory power of a plain-old pair of scissors to describe CRISPR-Cas9s cutting action. Its better than the scalpel metaphor at conveying the technology isablunt instrument. But points are deducted for not addressing CRISPRs powers to add or replace.
This analogy comes by way ofthe authority:Feng Zheng, the groundbreaking Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientist who helped create CRISPR-Cas9.
Zhengs comparison is a good one overall especially when he explains how it works with the song Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. But its still an imperfect one, because it implies greater precision than CRISPR actually allows.
To continue the analogy: If you use CRISPR to search for the and replace it with this, it would work as intended sometimes. But because CRISPR sometimes finds something it shouldnt, you might also wind up with jumbled words describing the study of the divine as thisology and a book of synonyms as athissaurus.
We really like this comparison, exemplified bywriter Aime Lutkins turn of phrase describing CRISPR assort of like organic matter Photoshop.
To be sure, youre not literally cutting anything, as CRISPR-Cas9 does, when you use the Adobe image editing software. But we saw explanatory power in the fact that Photoshop lets you make zoomed-in changes, down to the level of a single pixel just as CRISPR can make changes at the level of the As, Ts, Cs, and Gs that make up the genetic code.
And as anyone whos been victim of a bad Photoshop job knows, theres plenty of room for the tool to go awry.
Folks, we have a winner: A Swiss Army knife is the best analogy we found for what CRISPR can and cant do.
Like the other cutting instruments on our list, a Swiss Army knife gets points as a good visual because CRISPR-Cas9 literally cuts DNA. But a Swiss Army knife breaks out of the pack because it has different blades for different tasks comparable to CRISPRs ability to cut something out, introduce a single one-letter change, or make an insertion without a deletion. Swiss Army knives also strike the right middle ground between a precise cut and a blunt cut, a good way to think about CRISPRs capabilities.
And if thats not enough: Both CRISPR and Swiss Army knives have recently been at the center of heated legalfights over intellectual property.
Business Reporter
Rebecca covers the business of biopharma.
Originally posted here:
The best and worst analogies for CRISPR, ranked
- What's the Latest in CRISPR Gene-Editing Technology? - Technology Networks - March 12th, 2024
- In vivo genome-wide CRISPR screening identifies CITED2 as a driver of prostate cancer bone metastasis | Oncogene - Nature.com - March 12th, 2024
- Investigating the mechanisms underlying resistance to chemoterapy and to CRISPR-Cas9 in cancer cell lines ... - Nature.com - March 12th, 2024
- Here's Why CRISPR Therapeutics Stock Climbed 34% in February - The Motley Fool - March 12th, 2024
- SXSW Panel Recap: The First CRISPR Foods Have Arrived - Austin Chronicle - March 12th, 2024
- CRISPR-Cas systems: Overview, innovations and applications in human ... - March 4th, 2024
- CRISPR Therapeutics Stock Has 32% Upside, According to 1 Wall Street Analyst - The Motley Fool - March 4th, 2024
- Missed Out on CRISPR Therapeutics? My Best Gene-Editing Stock to Buy and Hold - The Motley Fool - March 4th, 2024
- MEGA-CRISPR tool gives a power boost to cancer-fighting cells - Nature.com - February 23rd, 2024
- 3 Biotech Stocks to Buy That Have CRISPR-Like Breakthrough Potential - InvestorPlace - February 23rd, 2024
- CRISPR 'will provide cures for genetic diseases that were incurable before,' says renowned biochemist Virginijus iknys - Livescience.com - February 23rd, 2024
- Opinion: The Promise and Challenges of CRISPR-Based Treatments - BioSpace - February 23rd, 2024
- There's Reason For Concern Over CRISPR Therapeutics AG's (NASDAQ:CRSP) Massive 26% Price Jump - Simply Wall St - February 23rd, 2024
- Move over, CRISPR: RNA-editing therapies pick up steam - Nature.com - February 23rd, 2024
- If You Invested $10000 in CRISPR Therapeutics in 2019, This Is How Much You Would Have Today - The Motley Fool - February 23rd, 2024
- CRISPR Therapeutics Joins Rank Of Stocks With 95-Plus Composite Rating - Investor's Business Daily - February 23rd, 2024
- CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP) Hits New 12-Month High on Better-Than-Expected Earnings - AmericanBankingNEWS - February 23rd, 2024
- CRISPR Therapeutics Provides Business Update and Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Financial Results - GlobeNewswire - February 23rd, 2024
- CRISPR Therapeutics AG (CRSP) Moves 6.9% Higher: Will This Strength Last? - Yahoo Finance - February 23rd, 2024
- Advancements in RNA for HIV Treatment: CRISPR Cas9, mRNA Therapeutics, and Next-Generation Sequencing ... - Medriva - February 23rd, 2024
- Intellia Therapeutics Charges Ahead: A Glimpse into the Future of CRISPR-Based Therapies - BNN Breaking - February 23rd, 2024
- The FDA Approved The First CRISPR-Based Therapy. What's Next? - Science Friday - February 5th, 2024
- Using CRISPR technology, researchers succeed in growing tomatoes that consume less water without compromising yield - Phys.org - February 5th, 2024
- CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool repairs defective T cells to treat rare hereditary disease - News-Medical.Net - February 5th, 2024
- New CRISPR Technology Increases Recognition of Cancer Cells by the Immune System - Inside Precision Medicine - February 5th, 2024
- Is CRISPR Therapeutics a Buy in the New Bull Market? - The Motley Fool - February 5th, 2024
- Stocks Flashing Renewed Technical Strength: CRISPR Therapeutics - Investor's Business Daily - February 5th, 2024
- AI at Davos, new CRISPR therapies and health tech's bad marketing - Marketplace - January 20th, 2024
- FDA expands use of newly approved CRISPR therapy - Axios - January 20th, 2024
- CRISPR-based therapy receives expanded approval for beta thalassemia - STAT - January 20th, 2024
- CRISPR Therapeutics And Vertex's CRISPR Breakthrough: How And Why They Got There First - Scrip - January 20th, 2024
- Pharmalittle: We're reading about a CRISPR approval, selling meds directly to patients, and more - STAT - January 20th, 2024
- Here's Why CRISPR Therapeutics Stock Rose 54% Last Year - The Motley Fool - January 20th, 2024
- Vertex's CRISPR Gene Therapy Lands Another FDA Nod in a Rare Blood Disease - MedCity News - January 20th, 2024
- Groundbreaking CRISPR/Cas9-based Genome Editing Therapy Secured the Second FDA Approval - geneonline - January 20th, 2024
- What Does It Mean for Investors if CRISPR Therapeutics Gets Bought Out in 2024? - The Motley Fool - January 20th, 2024
- First FDA-approved CRISPR-based gene therapy cleared for 2nd indication - LabPulse - January 20th, 2024
- CRISPR Therapeutics Announces U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Approval of CASGEVY ... - GlobeNewswire - January 20th, 2024
- CRISPR Gene Editing And Its Role In Hematology | TheHealthSite.com - TheHealthSite - January 20th, 2024
- Doudna institute hatches plan to 'cure hundreds of diseases' left behind by CRISPR revolution - STAT - January 11th, 2024
- Discover the recent progress of nonviral delivery carriers for CRISPR/Cas9 systems - News-Medical.Net - January 11th, 2024
- How CRISPR could yield the next blockbuster crop - Nature.com - January 11th, 2024
- Weight-loss drugs, malaria vaccines and more: CRISPR innovations headline the science breakthroughs of 2023 - Genetic Literacy Project - January 11th, 2024
- CRISPR Therapeutics Highlights Strategic Priorities and 2024 Outlook - GlobeNewswire - January 11th, 2024
- CRISPR Therapeutics AG (CRSP) 42nd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference (Transcript) - Seeking Alpha - January 11th, 2024
- CRISPR to be used to genetically modify crops - FoodNavigator.com - January 11th, 2024
- Casgevy approval unlikely to be followed up by another CRISPR drug in near future - BioPharma-Reporter.com - January 11th, 2024
- Vertex Announces Approval of First CRISPR/Cas9 Gene-Edited Therapy, CASGEVY, for the Treatment of Sickle Cell ... - Business Wire - January 11th, 2024
- The Science Behind CRISPR: Germline Genome Editing and Its Applications - Medriva - January 11th, 2024
- Here's Why 2024 Could Be a Big Year for CRISPR Therapeutics - The Motley Fool - January 11th, 2024
- Revolutionizing acne treatment with CRISPR technology - Labiotech.eu - January 11th, 2024
- What Is CRISPR Gene Editing and How Does It Work? - December 25th, 2023
- This first CRISPR treatment is just the beginning. Heres what's next - Fast Company - December 25th, 2023
- The Age of Crispr Medicine Is Here - WIRED - December 25th, 2023
- 6 Words That Explain Why CRISPR Stock Isn't Soaring Despite the Recent FDA Approval for Its Gene-Editing Therapy - Yahoo Finance - December 25th, 2023
- Crispr Therapeutics Medical Chief Morrow to Resign - The Wall Street Journal - December 25th, 2023
- Crispr Therapeutics chief medical officer is resigning - MarketWatch - December 25th, 2023
- 3 Reasons to Buy CRISPR Therapeutics Stock Like There's No Tomorrow - Yahoo Finance - December 25th, 2023
- CAR T Therapy May Cause Rare Cancer & How CRISPR Could Be The Solution - Forbes - December 25th, 2023
- CRSP Stock Alert: CRISPR Therapeutics Is Losing Its Medical Chief - InvestorPlace - December 25th, 2023
- With the promise of saving millions of lives, CRISPR medicine is born - EL PAS USA - December 25th, 2023
- Casgevy: the world's first CRISPR therapy - Epigram - December 25th, 2023
- The Basics of CRISPR Gene Editing - Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials - November 27th, 2023
- Mechanism and Applications of CRISPR/Cas-9-Mediated Genome Editing - November 27th, 2023
- What is CRISPR gene editing, and how does it work? - The Conversation - October 16th, 2023
- What is CRISPR/Cas9? - PMC - National Center for Biotechnology Information - October 16th, 2023
- CRISPR, 10 Years On: Learning to Rewrite the Code of Life - April 26th, 2023
- What Is CRISPR, and Why Is It So Important? - Scientific American - March 23rd, 2023
- Global CRISPR Technology Market Is Projected To Grow At A 22% Rate Through The Forecast Period - EIN News - March 14th, 2023
- What is CRISPR and why is it controversial? | CNN - February 2nd, 2023
- CRISPR | Description, Technology, Uses, & Ethical Concerns - February 2nd, 2023
- In vivo CRISPR screening reveals nutrient signaling processes ... - PubMed - December 12th, 2022
- What is CRISPR? | New Scientist - October 16th, 2022
- CRISPR-Cas9 Structures and Mechanisms - PubMed - October 16th, 2022
- A CRISPR cure for HIV? Gene-editing technology may be able stop viral replication in its tracks and wipe out infections - Genetic Literacy Project - October 16th, 2022
- Editas Medicine Presents Preclinical Data on EDIT-103 for Rhodopsin-associated Autosomal Dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa at the European Society of Gene... - October 16th, 2022
- More Foods Will Be Gene-Edited Than You Think - The Epoch Times - October 16th, 2022
- What is CRISPR? - MD Anderson Cancer Center - September 21st, 2022
- CRISPR infusion eliminates swelling in those with rare genetic disease - Science - September 21st, 2022
- Crispr Therapeutics becomes the latest biotech to open in the Seaport - The Boston Globe - September 21st, 2022