(June 5, 2015) A
relatively new method of targeting specific DNA sequences in zebrafish could
dramatically accelerate the discovery of gene function and the identification
of disease genes in humans, according to scientists at the National Human
Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health.
In a study posted online on June 5, 2015, and to be
published in the July 2015 issue of Genome Research, the researchers reported
that the gene-editing technology known as CRISPR/Cas9 is six times more
effective than other techniques at homing in on target genes and inserting or
deleting specific sequences. The study also demonstrated that the CRISPR/Cas9
method can be used in a “multiplexed” fashion – that is, targeting and mutating
multiple genes at the same time to determine their functions.