gene editing

noun

variants or genome editing

: the use of biotechnological techniques to make changes to specific DNA sequences in the genome of a living organism

Fundamental research into the ways by which bacteria defend themselves against viruses has recently led to the development of powerful new techniques that make it possible to perform gene editing—that is, precisely altering genetic sequences—in living cells, including those of humans, at much higher accuracy and efficiency than ever before possible.—

David Baltimore et al.

The era of straightforward genome editing raises ethical questions that will need to be addressed by scientists and society at large.—

Jennifer A. Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier

—often hyphenated when used before another noun

a gene-editing technique called CRISPR

Examples of gene editing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This is not to say that gene editing cannot do similar things. —

Fyodor Urnov, TIME, 12 Aug. 2024 Among these concerns are novel scientific tools with potential military applications, such as synthetic biology and gene editing. —

Nathan Levine, Foreign Affairs, 16 Mar. 2021 His team is trying to use gene editing to build trees that are better for making paper and other products, requiring less land and producing less pollution than natural varieties. 🌱 Follow Climate & environment Call it science at a paper-cutting edge. —

Dino Grandoni, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2024 Two ways the disease can be treated or cured include procedures like stem cell transplants, bone marrow transplants, or gene editing therapy. —

Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 18 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for gene editing

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gene editing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.