CRISPR-Cas9: Timeline of key events

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Y Ishino, H Shinagawa, K Makino, M Amemura, A Nakata, 'Nucleotide sequence of the iap gene, responsible for alkaline phosphatase isozyme conversion in Escherichia coli, and identification of the gene product', Journal of Bacteriology 169/12 (1987), 5429–33; I Takase, F Ishino, M Wachi, et al, 'Genes encoding two lipoproteins in the leuS-dacA region of the Escherichia coli chromosome', Journal of Bacteriology, 169/12 (1987), 5692-99.1987-12-01T00:00:00+0000Mojica F J, Diez-Villasenor C, Soria E, Juez G, 'Biological significance of a family of regularly spaced repeats in the genomes of Archaea, Bacteria and mitochondria', Molecular Microbiology 36/1 (April 2000): 244–6.2000-01-18T00:00:00+0000The term was coined by a group of scientists Dutch scientists and Francisco Mojica. They used the term to denote clustered regularly interspaced short palindrome repeats in a DNA sequence and its associated genes. R Jansen, J D Embden, W Gaastra, L M, Schouls, 'Identification of genes that are associated with DNA repeats in prokaryotes', Molecular Microbiolology 43/6 (2002): 1565-75.2002-03-01T00:00:00+0000They wanted to find out if it is a mechanism bacteria use to protect themselves from viral infection.2005-01-01T00:00:00+0000The scientists made the suggestion based on sequence analysis of CRISPR structures from 24 strains of the bacteria Streptococcus thermophilus and Streptococcus vestibularis They published their findings in A Bolotin, B Quinquis, A Sorokin, S D Ehrlich, 'Clustered regularly interspaced short palindrome repeats (CRISPRs) have spacers of extrachromosomal origin', Microbiology, 151/Pt 8 (2005): 2551-6.2005-08-01T00:00:00+0000D H Haft, J Selengut, E F Mongodin, K E Nelson, 'A Guild of 45 CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Protein Families and Multiple CRISPR/Cas Subtypes Exist in Prokaryotic Genomes', PLoS Computational Biology, 1/6 (2005): e60. 2005-11-11T00:00:00+0000The experiments were conducted by microbiologists based at the food manufacturing company Danisco. R Barrangou, C Fremaux, H Deveau, et al, 'CRISPR provides acquired resistance against viruses in prokaryotes', Science, 315/5819 (2007): 1709-12.2007-03-23T00:00:00+00002008-01-01T00:00:00+0000H Deveau, R Barrangou, J E Garneau, J Labonte et al, 'Phage Response to CRISPR-Encoded Resistance in Streptococcus thermophilus', Journal of Bacteriology, 190/4 (2008): 1390-1400.2008-02-01T00:00:00+0000S J J Brouns, M J Matthijs, M Lundgren, E R Westra et al, 'Small CRISPR RNAs guide antiviral defense in Prokaryotes', Science, 321/5891 (2008): 960-64.2008-08-15T00:00:00+0000J Carte, R Wang, H Li, R M and M P Terns, 'Cas6 is an endoribonuclease that generates guide RNAs for invader defense in prokaryotes', Genes Development, 22/24 (2008): 3489–96.2008-12-01T00:00:00+00002011-01-01T00:00:00+0000Martin JHinek and Michael Hauser also joined the investigation. 2011-03-01T00:00:00+0000DuPont commercialised the first bacterial cultures based on the CRISPR-Cas 9 technology for the production of pizza cheese. It involved highly active Steptococcus thermophilus cultures.2012-04-02T00:00:00+0000The patent was submitted by Jennifer Doudna, at the University of California Berkeley, and Emmanuell Charpentier, at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Germany. The application was for a patent to cover the use of CRISPR-Cas9 for genome editing in vitro.2012-05-25T00:00:00+0000M Jinek, K Chylinski, I Fonfara, M Hauer, J A Doudna, E Charpentier, 'A programmable dual-RNA-guided DNA endonuclease in adaptive bacterial immunity', Science, 337/6096 (2012): 816-21.2012-08-17T00:00:00+0000The leading author of the paper, Virginijus Siksyns, a molecular biologist, originally tried to get the paper published by Cell, but the journal's editor did not see its importance and rejected it without sending it out for review. Eventually it appeared as 'Cas9–crRNA ribonucleoprotein complex mediates specific DNA cleavage for adaptive immunity in bacteria', in PNAS September 25, 2012 109 (39) E2579-E2586. 2012-09-25T00:00:00+0000The patent was submitted by Feng Zhang at MIT. It covered for using CRISPR-Cas9 for genome editing in eukaryotic cells. 2012-12-12T00:00:00+00002013-01-01T00:00:00+00002013-01-01T00:00:00+0000
Date Event People Places Sciences
Dec 1987The CRISPR mechanism first publishedAmemura, Ishino, Makino, Nakata, Shinagawa, Takase, WachiOsaka UniversityCRISPR-Cas9, Gene editing
18 Jan 2000More clustered repeats of DNA identified in other bacteria and archaea, termed Short Regularly Spaced Repeats (SRSR)Mojica, Diez-Villasenor, Soria, Juez University of Alicante, University Miguel HernandezCRISPR-Cas9, Gene editing
Mar 2002Term CRISPR-Cas9 published for first timeMojica, Jansen, Embden, Gaastra, SchoulsUtrecht UniversityCRISPR-Cas9, Gene editing
2005Jennifer Doudna and Jillian Banfield started investigating CRISPR Doudna, BanfieldUniversity of California BerkeleyCRISPR-Cas9
1 Aug 2005French scientists suggested CRISPR spacer sequences can provide cell immunity against phage infection and degrade DNABolotin, Quinquis, Sorokin, EhrlichInstitut National de la Recherche AgronomiqueCRISPR-Cas9, Gene editing
11 Nov 2005American researchers identified new familes of Cas genes which appeared to help in protecting bacteria against invading virusesHaft, Selengut, Mongodin, NelsonThe Institute for Genomic ResearchCRISPR-Cas9, Gene editing
23 Mar 2007Experiments demonstrate for the first time the role of CRISPR together with Cas9 genes in protecting bacteria against virusesBarrangou, Horvath, Fremaux, Deveau, Danisco USA IncCRISPR-Cas9, Gene editing
2008DNA, not RNA, demonstrated to be the molecular target of most CRISPR-Cas systems  CRISPR-Cas9, Gene editing
Feb 2008Scientists coin the term 'protospacer' to denote viral sequence that corresponds to a 'spacer' in the CRISPR-Cas9 system  CRISPR-Cas9, Gene editing
Aug 2008Scientists characterised the RNA processing pathway in CRISPR systemWageningen University, University of Sheffield, National Institutes of HealthCRISPR-Cas9, Gene editing
Dec 2008Scientists published the RNA gene silencing pathway involved in the CRISPR-Cas mechanism Carte, Wang, Li, TernsUniversity of Georgia, Florida State UniversityCRISPR-Cas9, Gene editing
2011Classification of the CRISPR-Cas system is proposed  CRISPR-Cas9, Gene editing
Mar 2011Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna joined forces to investigate Cas9 enzymeDoudna, Charpentier, Hinek, HauserUniversity of California Berkeley, Umea UniversityCRISPR-Cas9
Apr 2012First commercialisation of CRISPR-Cas 9 technology DupontCRISPR-Cas9, Gene editing
May 2012First patent application submitted for CRISPR-Cas 9 technologyDoudna, CharpentierUniversity of California Berkeley, University of ViennaCRISPR-Cas9, Gene editing
17 Aug 2012Publication of radically new gene editing method that harnesses the CRISPR-Cas9 system Jinek, Chylinski, Fonfara, Hauer, Doudna, CharpentierUniversity of California BerkeleyCRISPR-Cas9, Gene editing
25 Sep 2012Scientists at the Vilnius University published paper elucidating the potential of CRSIPR/Cas9 to edit DNASiksnys, Gasiunas, Barrangou, HorvathVilunius UniversityCRISPR-Cas9, Gene editing,
12 Dec 2012Fast track application for CRISPR-Cas 9 technology submitted to US patent office. ZhangBroad Institute, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCRISPR-Cas9, Gene editing
Jan 2013CRISPR-Cas is used in human genome editing  CRISPR-Cas9, Gene editing
Jan 2013CRISPR-Cas is used to edit the genome of a zebrafish  CRISPR-Cas9, Gene editing

Dec 1987

The CRISPR mechanism first published

18 Jan 2000

More clustered repeats of DNA identified in other bacteria and archaea, termed Short Regularly Spaced Repeats (SRSR)

Mar 2002

Term CRISPR-Cas9 published for first time

2005

Jennifer Doudna and Jillian Banfield started investigating CRISPR

1 Aug 2005

French scientists suggested CRISPR spacer sequences can provide cell immunity against phage infection and degrade DNA

11 Nov 2005

American researchers identified new familes of Cas genes which appeared to help in protecting bacteria against invading viruses

23 Mar 2007

Experiments demonstrate for the first time the role of CRISPR together with Cas9 genes in protecting bacteria against viruses

2008

DNA, not RNA, demonstrated to be the molecular target of most CRISPR-Cas systems

Feb 2008

Scientists coin the term 'protospacer' to denote viral sequence that corresponds to a 'spacer' in the CRISPR-Cas9 system

Aug 2008

Scientists characterised the RNA processing pathway in CRISPR system

Dec 2008

Scientists published the RNA gene silencing pathway involved in the CRISPR-Cas mechanism

2011

Classification of the CRISPR-Cas system is proposed

Mar 2011

Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna joined forces to investigate Cas9 enzyme

Apr 2012

First commercialisation of CRISPR-Cas 9 technology

May 2012

First patent application submitted for CRISPR-Cas 9 technology

17 Aug 2012

Publication of radically new gene editing method that harnesses the CRISPR-Cas9 system

25 Sep 2012

Scientists at the Vilnius University published paper elucidating the potential of CRSIPR/Cas9 to edit DNA

12 Dec 2012

Fast track application for CRISPR-Cas 9 technology submitted to US patent office.

Jan 2013

CRISPR-Cas is used in human genome editing

Jan 2013

CRISPR-Cas is used to edit the genome of a zebrafish

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