CRISPR: Introducing a New Era in Molecular Biology

Presenter - Tim Herman, Ph.D., Milwaukee School of Engineering & 3D Molecular Designs

Saturday April 2nd, 8:00am

The discovery of CRISPR as an adaptive immunity system in bacteria marks a significant milestone in the development of molecular biosciences. This system has provided us with new tools with which we are now poised to begin editing the human genome. In this workshop, we will tell the story of the discovery of CRISPR as a group effort involving many research groups found in many countries around the world. We will then use the hands-on CRISPR Adaptive Immunity Kit to explore how this system functions to protect bacteria from infection by bacteriophages. We will also present teachers with ways to connect this new topic to foundational concepts that are already being taught in high school biology classrooms. Finally, we will introduce teachers to an engagement activity that challenges their students with the question – Could you have discovered CRISPR?