Emmanuelle Charpentier

Emmanuelle Charpentier is a French microbiologist and biochemist whose research helped establish CRISPR-Cas9 as a programmable genome-editing tool. She shared the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Jennifer Doudna.

Jennifer Doudna: An American biochemist who shared the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing. She collaborated with Charpentier to show how CRISPR-Cas9 could be programmed to cut DNA.
CRISPR: A family of DNA sequences in bacteria and archaea that records fragments of past viral infections. Charpentier studied this microbial defense system before it was adapted for genome editing.
Streptococcus pyogenes: A bacterium that causes diseases including strep throat and invasive infections. Charpentier studied its CRISPR defense system, revealing the RNA components used by Cas9.
Genome editing: The deliberate alteration of an organism's DNA sequence using molecular tools. CRISPR-Cas9 made targeted genome editing far more accessible to research laboratories.
Rodger Stetten: A molecular biologist and scientific administrator who directed the U.S. National Institutes of Health Office of Extramural Research. He was among the NIH leaders who investigated the dispute over credit for CRISPR-Cas9 discoveries.
Cas9: An RNA-guided enzyme that cuts DNA at sequences matching its guide RNA. Her work identified Cas9 as the DNA-cutting protein central to the editing system.
Umeå University: A public research university in northern Sweden. Charpentier's laboratory at Umeå produced key findings on tracrRNA and CRISPR RNA processing.
Gene therapy: Treatment that alters or supplements genetic material to prevent or treat disease. CRISPR-Cas9 has enabled experimental approaches to correcting disease-causing mutations.
Nobel Prize in Chemistry: An annual award recognizing outstanding contributions to chemistry. Charpentier shared its 2020 award for the development of CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing.
tracrRNA: A small RNA that pairs with CRISPR-derived RNA and helps guide Cas9 activity. Charpentier's group discovered its role in the maturation of CRISPR RNAs in Streptococcus pyogenes.

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CRISPR gene editingRelated: Her work on bacterial CRISPR systems contributed to the technology's development.