Bacteria have immune systems that, much like ours, protect them from incoming pathogens and viruses. One special way this happens is through CRISPR and CRISPR/Cas systems.
By using a defeated virus’s genome — its DNA and RNA — it can hunt invading pathogens’ DNA and chop it up, effectively killing the infection.
In Utah State University’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Professor Ryan Jackson and his students study unique types of CRISPR systems to better understand how they work. Their research focuses on systems called Cas12a2 and Cas12a3, which differ from more familiar CRISPR tools because they target RNA instead of DNA. By studying their structure and function, Jackson’s lab helps expand scientific knowledge and supports other researchers working on medical and therapeutic uses of CRISPR.
Working with his students and international collaborators, Jackson has contributed to new discoveries about these systems, including research published in the journal Nature. This work could improve the development of therapeutics and treatments to otherwise untreatable infections and diseases like cancer.
In addition, his lab has found a system that could be used for faster and more accurate diagnostic tests for illnesses like COVID-19, influenza, and RSV.
Through this kind of research, the department gives students hands-on experience while contributing to advances in health and biotechnology.
In The News
USU Biochemists Show CRISPR Can Selectively Destroy Cells, a Cancer-Treatment Goal
Kadin Crosby, Ryan Jackson and colleagues report newly discovered details demonstrating how CRISPR Cas12a2 can be repurposed to discriminately kill cancer cells in the petri dish and in mice.
