Discover how a revolutionary CRISPR kit is making gene-editing technology accessible to students, empowering them to explore the frontiers of modern biology in their own classrooms.
Democratizing Biotech
Which is why, in a world where the latest scientific advancements all too often stay locked away in ivory towers, one team of students and researchers at Stanford University has developed a revolutionary solution. Now, thanks to the CRISPRkit — a new tool in the making that is simple and low-cost — gene-editing technology may soon be within reach for high school students.
The team led by Associate Professor Stanley Qi saw the great opportunities on how CRISPR can impact biology education. They aimed to break down the barriers that have long kept this game-changing technology from making it into our schools, like the high cost and unique equipment needed. With elbow grease and a comprehensive understanding of their work, they have crafted a kit that makes the frontier of bioengineering accessible to students far and wide.
Modern Science Meets Hands-On Learning
CRISPRkit is not only an educational toy, it really opens the door to real experiments and discoveries that could teach us more about how we might desire and dread our bodies to be. It includes everything needed for students to perform their own CRISPR gene editing — from making the cuts and pastes, to witnessing the regeneration. With a cost of $2 per kit or $40 for a classroom set, the CRISPRkit democratizes access to an emerging technology and makes sure that all students have the opportunity to participate in it, regardless of socioeconomic status.
The experiment is designed to capture the imagination of a kid. Chromoproteins — pigmented proteins that appear in bright colors — give students a concrete and visually engaging demonstration of the power of CRISPR. By playing with the genes involved in producing these pigments, they will watch the colors shift directly under their fingers, and develop a much more nuanced comprehension of why it happens.
Yet, the CRISPRkit is more than just about this discovery. The platform is also designed so that students can learn a set of experiments from start to finish—the ability to take optical measurements over handheld devices like smartphones using a camera and CRISPRkit website. This type of technological integration only serves to reinstate the interactive, accessible and meaningful teaching process that enable students to really understand the reasons for their work.
Conclusion
This represents a huge step forwards for biology education, as the CRISPRkit brings state-of-the-art technology to the classroom and plants powerful tools in the hands of students on par with those in use across the leading-edge research community. By putting the ability to edit genes in the hands of elementary school students, this creative kit could also motivate future generations of scientists, administrators and decision makers – those who will form the field as new innovations are waiting around the turn. As the instrument behind the CRISPRkit continue to be further developed, and adopted by much more scientists over time, it will open up a world of transformative understanding and discovery.
