miniPCR bio
TM
Chopped! Using CRISPR/Cas9 to cut DNA - Student's Guide
Version: 1.0 - Release: May 2022 - © 2022 by miniPCR bio™
Student's Guide
P./30
Advanced questions
1. When the Cas9 nuclease cuts DNA, the cell often introduces mutations as the cell's repair
mechanisms work to fix the break. Explain why mutations that inactivate a gene may be
useful to scientists.
2. In this lab, you added the Cas9 nuclease to the DNA sample in a test tube. When scientists
want to use CRISPR/Cas9 in living cells, one common method is to introduce the cas9 gene
and allow the cell to produce the Cas9 protein itself. Cas9 is a protein normally found in
bacteria. But scientists can use the cells of any organism to produce Cas9. Discuss how this
relates to the concept of a universal genetic code.
