Link to the write-up and presentation CRISPR/Cas9 Write-up and Presentation.
Looking back, I am glad that I had the opportunity to learn more about CRISPR through the Techniques Café, especially because in Learning Journal #1, I had expressed interest in learning about CRISPR in BIOL 463. After the Techniques Café, I received more than what I had hoped for in terms of learning about CRISPR. Instead of just learning about CRISPR, I taught others about CRISPR, which required me to have a solid understanding of it myself in order to effectively talk about the technique. Taking this into consideration, I believe that I learned a lot more from presenting CRISPR than I would have if I had simply listened to another group teach me about CRISPR. Overall, it was a satisfying experience to both learn about something that I wanted to learn about and learn it really well.
If I were to test a person’s understanding of how CRISPR/Cas9 works, I would ask: Why is a DNA template necessary to allow genome editing to occur through CRISPR/Cas9? In an answer, I would expect the person to acknowledge that without a DNA template, double-stranded breaks in the DNA will lead to non-homologous end joining, which results in the incorporation of random bases, and thus random mutations. Purposeful genome editing involves specific modification of sequences, rather than random mutagenesis. Therefore, a DNA template is necessary to allow specific modification of target DNA sequences.