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How CRISPR can edit entire microbial populations in our gut

Part 4 of the TED Radio Hour episode Augmenting Humans.

Jennifer Doudna's gene-editing technology CRISPR can now manipulate populations of microbes. This new field, called precision microbiome editing, could potentially address asthma and Alzheimer's.

About Jennifer Doudna

Jennifer Doudna is a professor and researcher at the University of California, Berkeley.

Together with her collaborator Emmanuelle Charpentier, Doudna has developed a technology called CRISPR-Cas9 that enables genome editing in any living cell. This breakthrough earned the two the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. In 2017, Doudna co-authored A Crack In Creation: Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution. She continues to lead public discussion on the ethical implications of genome editing.

Web Resources

Related TED Bio: Jennifer DoudnaRelated TED Talk: How CRISPR lets us edit our DNA

NPR Related Links

Shots: Your gut microbes may influence how you handle stressShots: Sickle cell patient's journey leads to landmark approval of gene-editing treatment

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Manoush Zomorodi
Manoush Zomorodi is the host of TED Radio Hour. She is a journalist, podcaster and media entrepreneur, and her work reflects her passion for investigating how technology and business are transforming humanity.
Fiona Geiran
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Sanaz Meshkinpour
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