Speaking with: Professor Peter Koopman on CRISPR and the power of genome editing

Editing DNA has the potential to treat disease by repairing or removing defective genes. Kyle Lawson/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND

William Isdale, The University of Melbourne, Peter Koopman

Author

William Isdale
Research Assistant, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne

Interviewed

Peter Koopman
Emeritus Professor of Developmental Biology, The University of Queensland

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William Isdale does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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Speaking with: Professor Peter Koopman on CRISPR and the power of genome editing

CRISPR, or clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, is a technology that is able to alter DNA.

While this sounds like the realms of science fiction, right now scientists are investigating its potential to eliminate genetic diseases in humans by repairing or replacing defective genes.

The University of Melbourne’s William Isdale spoke with Professor Peter Koopman from the University of Queensland about his research into CRISPR and the possibilities it could offer to future generations, as well as those suffering from genetic conditions right now.

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