Credit: Ernesto del Aguila III, NHGRI
The conventional CRISPR-Cas9 system comprises two parts: the Cas9 enzyme, which acts like a wrench, and specific RNA guides (CRISPRs), which act as different socket heads. These RNAs guide the Cas9 protein to the target gene on a DNA strand. This technique allows researchers to study genes in a specific, targeted way.