Keeping It Crisp with AI

Can we manipulate the scripts of life? Can we control the turnout of an organism before it’s born? Can we create a new generation of superhumans? The answer is no, we cannot – yet.

What is CRISPR?

CRISPR is a naturally occurring phenomenon within bacterial cells. As is already known through basic biology, our DNA is the center of our cell’s functions. A strand of DNA has a wonderfully diverse pattern of its nitrogen bases, Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, and Cytosine, which will ultimately decide which of a person’s inherited traits will be outwardly exhibited. Whether it be blue eyes, thin skin, or a hereditary and incurable heart disease, DNA is to blame for it all. CRISPR’s job is to keep the cell clean, but not exactly in the same way as a lysosome would behave. CRISPR, short for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, is a series of genetic codes that are exactly what they’re named to be: Little bits of repeated DNA sequences that act as a base

for CRISPR’s complementary mechanisms, the CRISPR-associated proteins, Cas. These Cas proteins are able to slash through foreign DNA and insert things into the CRISPR sequence. Their usual function in a cell would be to protect it from invading bacterias. This is done by isolating a section of the viral DNA using the Cas protein, which would then place the new addition into the pre-existing sequence. Via this deposit, the cell is now able to keep this sequence in its memory and build the proper protection against it. When needed, guide RNA(gRNA) will create a copy of this section and bind with a Cas-9 protein, which is specific for its ability to carry the attacker’s code around the cell and keep it from returning by using the Cas’s basic ability to penetrate its forces. Thus, the cell maintains an up-to-date security system and stays alive.

How is AI relevant in this?

Despite CRISPR is a naturally occurring phenomenon, scientists have found that they are able to create certain outcomes of genetic material by changing the sequence of DNA strands and bases. CRISPR will eat whatever it is fed – all you have to do is know what to feed it.

As previously said, the Cas-9 protein provides a vehicle for the copycat RNA and can pierce a strand of DNA. By using these properties, Scientists have developed a method to send an edited gRNA onto the Cas-9, so that it can make an incision in that specific section of DNA. Scientists already have access to the DNA sequences that create different mutations, which allows them to hand-select their bases to match up with the natural strand to make their new sequence. Scientists can break a sequence to disable a trait they don’t want to continue or replace the broken piece of the sequence with a better set.

AI’s role in this comes with its ability to efficiently and exactly match up the new bases to create the altered strand. Although Scientists have the ability to hand-craft the strand, it is a very daunting task that costs great accuracy. Human error is common, and could even be lethal. AI can avoid the chances of a mistake because it is simply eating a formula; Even though it’s Artificial INTELLIGENCE, it is still essentially just a series of codes meant for computing. When AI does what it is told, it is able to produce precise sequences that will target exactly what needs to be changed. The heightened capacities of AI also allow it to alert the scientists about possible risks specific to each procedure and automatically begin working on ways to move around the insecurities, offering a greater chance of safety to anything subjected to CRISPR gene editing.

CRISPR-AI: Advancements & Experiments

OpenCRISPR-1 is an initiative created by company Profluent Bio, who were able to design man-made genome editors that can function and even beat the abilities of a natural CRISPR-Cas. Through Large Language Models(LLM), they were able to mimic its structure, skipping hundreds of years of genetic mutation and naturally selected enhancements to the proteins. This custom enzyme builder will be able to select and edit the strand by itself, making it significantly easier to construct the new material.

CRISPR CREME, as delicious as it sounds, is a system that can virtually walk through the different scenarios of an edit and offer a peek into the possible effects of these changes. CREME is an acronym for cis-regulatory element model explanations. Rather than having to partake in a long-term study that will likely take years of consistent data collection, CREME is able to fast-forward these processes and offer data on the effects and a significantly faster pace. Because of CREME’s abilities, scientists are able to find the greatest possible sequencing choices to maintain a stable environment in the cells without the trouble of turning 50 years old before testing is finally complete.

Conclusion

CRISPR and AI are rapidly expanding our understanding of genome editing. AI has brought about easier ways for biologists and geneticists to develop their understanding of the inner functions of CRISPR and continue research on how to properly use it to our advantage. Technologies like CREME and OpenCRISPR-1 are only the beginning. As we continue our studies, we will eventually be able to understand the true extent of DNA modification. It is anticipated that AI and CRISPR will be able to provide cures to genetically inherited diseases and offer a better tomorrow in the world of healthcare. And maybe – just maybe – create a new generation of superhumans.

Sources:

Vidyasagar, Aparna, and Nicoletta Lanese. “What Is CRISPR?” Live Science, 21 Oct. 2021, www.livescience.com/58790-crispr-explained.html.

Görücü Yılmaz, Şenay. “Genome Editing Technologies: CRISPR, LEAPER, RESTORE, ARCUT, SATI, and RESCUE.” EXCLI Journal, vol. 20, 2021, pp. 19–45, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7838830/pdf/EXCLI-20-19.pdf, https://doi.org/10.17179/excli2020-3070.

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