CRISPR

American  

[kris-per] / ˈkrɪs pər /

Sometimes Crispr

noun

1. Biochemistry. a unique cluster of short, repeated DNA sequences found in bacterial genomes and capable of fighting viruses.

   CRISPR enables bacteria to integrate foreign DNA into their genome.

2. Genetics. the technology of targeting a DNA-detecting molecule to a specific genetic sequence for the purpose of editing a gene’s base pairs.

   The approach called CRISPR should speed up the process by allowing researchers to study the entire genome at once.

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Etymology

Origin of CRISPR

First recorded in 2000–05; acronym from C(lustered) R(egularly) I(nterspaced) S(hort) P(alindromic) R(epeats)

Example Sentences

Using the gene-editing tool CRISPR, plant biologists focused on goldenberry, a small fruit related to tomatoes.

From Science Daily • Jan. 11, 2026

If he thought his return to the laboratory would be a placid coda to his career, he was soon proved wrong, by yet another advance in genetic engineering, this one called CRISPR.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 8, 2025

Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi were engineered, or made to resemble dire wolves, using gene editing techniques like CRISPR.

From Salon • May 15, 2025

When the researchers altered this key DNA base using the gene editor CRISPR, they also increased the fishes’ exploratory behavior.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 24, 2024

These gene editors are based on Nobel Prize-winning methods involving biological mechanisms called CRISPR.

From New York Times • Apr. 22, 2024