Show Notes
CRISPR pioneer Erik Sontheimer joins hosts Søren and AJ to discuss how curiosity-driven research revealed a powerful genome editing technology.
Their conversation looks at the landmark research that revealed how CRISPR could target DNA and the scientific discoveries that have turned it into a revolutionary research tool. Erik looks back at the “Wild West” years of early CRISPR research, the unexpected discoveries that pushed the field forward, and his decision to co-found Intellia Therapeutics.
He also explains how genome editing is progressing from so-called “genome vandalism” towards increasingly precise technologies, including base editing, prime editing, and prime assembly, allowing it to move into the clinic. Erik also considers the ethical boundaries of genome editing and the importance of scientists taking part in wider conversations about how these technologies should be used.
In this episode
03:38 – Explainer: What is CRISPR? 06:36 – The 2008 paper that hinted at CRISPR’s potential 10:55 – How Erik started working on CRISPR 18:50 – The “Wild West” of early CRISPR research 26:57 – Career moves and finding two academic posts 32:51 – Co-founding Intellia Therapeutics 41:36 – Has CRISPR lived up to the hype? 44:38 – From gene cutting to precision editing 46:24 – Base editing, prime editing and prime assembly 51:05 – The ethics of genome editing 56:04 – Wrap-up and key takeaways
About the guest Erik Sontheimer is the Pillar Chair in Biomedical Research and Professor at UMass Chan Medical School and Vice Chair of the RNA Therapeutics Institute. His early research helped show CRISPR could target DNA, an important step towards its use as a genome editing tool. He later co-founded Intellia Therapeutics and, alongside his academic work, advises other companies working on new approaches to genome editing.
Dose of Discovery is cohosted by Søren Hough and Ayokunmi Ajetunmobi (AJ) and produced by Suze Cooper.
Read more CRISPR Timeline by the Broad Institute Rewriting the genome with DNA polymerase editing by Søren Hough (Coverage of Erik Sontheimer's work) ‘Jumping genes’ may hold secret to new forms of genome editing by Søren Hough Polymerase editing ‘clicks’ together in trailblazing study by Søren Hough Infant treated with first in vivo CRISPR therapy by Nnenna Ohaka ‘Baby KJ’ CRISPR treatment was just the beginning by Søren Hough Fixing what isn’t broken: CRISPR’s potential to erase biocultural diversity by Søren Hough (CRISPR ethics) The Future of CRISPR Applications in the Lab, the Clinic and Society by Søren Hough & Ayokunmi Ajetunmobi (CRISPR ethics) A CRISPR Moratorium Isn't Enough: We Need a Boycott by Søren Hough & Ayokunmi Ajetunmobi (CRISPR ethics)
Read more at Bioxconomy, sign up to our newsletter, and don’t forget to check out our upcoming events.
You can find a fully annotated transcript of the episode here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Dose of Discovery
Decades of curiosity and determination helped Katalin Karikó turn overlooked research into a technology that changed the course of a pandemic. The mRNA pioneer and Nobel laureate joins Søren and AJ to discuss how she navigated demotion and threats of deportation to find peace and joy in the lab.
What can cone snail venom teach us about peptides and new medicines?
It may seem obvious, but not all drugs are manufacturable. Getting an exciting new treatment from the lab to patients is only possible if the molecule or substance itself is scalable.
In this episode of Dose of Discovery, hosts Søren and AJ speak to physician-scientist Stanley Crooke, CEO of the nonprofit n-Lorem Foundation, about how antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) technology has evolved into a revolutionary therapeutic modality.
Welcome to Dose of Discovery: a dose of breakthrough medical discoveries, delivered with your morning coffee. (Coffee not included.)