Unveiling the Nanoscale Journey of CRISPR-Cas Complexes

Scientists at Leipzig University have developed a new method to track the gene recognition process of CRISPR-Cas protein complexes in real time and with high resolution. By measuring the smallest twists and torques of molecules, the researchers were able to observe the sequence recognition almost base pair by base pair. The findings provide insights into the stochastic nature of the recognition process and will help in selecting suitable RNA sequences to optimize the precision of genetic manipulation. The method, which utilizes DNA nanotechnology, can also be applied to other CRISPR-Cas complexes or biomolecules.