CRISPR Gene Editing — Questions and answers
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What did Dr. Jennifer Doudna compare a single mistake in the "book of life" to?
Choices
- A misplaced comma or an incorrect word. ✓
- An entire chapter being rewritten.
- A very short book.
- A completely new book.
Answer: A misplaced comma or an incorrect word.
From page 1
Before CRISPR, what were the gene alteration tools compared to?
Choices
- A very sharp knife for surgery.
- A blunt instrument for delicate surgery. ✓
- A perfect pair of molecular scissors.
- A simple pencil and paper.
Answer: A blunt instrument for delicate surgery.
From page 2
What did researchers think the 'Cas proteins' were, based on Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier's statement?
Choices
- The 'hands' that would interact with the genetic library to neutralize invaders. ✓
- The 'books' in the genetic library.
- The 'doors' to the genetic library.
- The 'keys' that locked up the invaders.
Answer: The 'hands' that would interact with the genetic library to neutralize invaders.
From page 4
What did Dr. Charpentier compare the discovery of tracrRNA to?
Choices
- Finding a new kind of food.
- Solving a very difficult math problem.
- Finding the missing piece of a molecular puzzle. ✓
- Learning to ride a bike.
Answer: Finding the missing piece of a molecular puzzle.
From page 5
What did Dr. Doudna call the single guide RNA (sgRNA) that her team engineered?
Choices
- A complicated maze.
- Our 'aha!' moment and a universal key. ✓
- A tiny microscope.
- A very long rope.
Answer: Our 'aha!' moment and a universal key.
From page 6
After Doudna and Charpentier's discovery, what important discussions did the new power of CRISPR-Cas9 open up?
Choices
- How to make the system even more complicated.
- How to make the system glow in the dark.
- Profound ethical questions about altering the human germline. ✓
- How to use it to play video games.
Answer: Profound ethical questions about altering the human germline.
From page 9