Cutting-Edge Research: The CRISPR Gene Revolution

The city of Aachen and RWTHextern are proud to present a "Uni at City Hall" event in the run-up to the Aachen Engineering Award.

 

The French microbiologist Emmanuelle Charpentier has developed a genetic tool that is considered to be one of the most groundbreaking discoveries of in the recent past. On Friday, September 7, the co-founder of CRISPR-Cas9 is thus being honored with the 2018 Aachen Engineering Award.

In view of the occasion of the award ceremony, there will be a special "Uni at City Hall" event on the topic of "The CRISPR Gene Revolution – Blessing or Curse?." The event is to begin at 7:30pm at Coronation Hall at Aachen City Hall. Admission is free and prior registration is not neccessary.

CRISPR-Cas9 (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) describes a type of genetic engineering by means of molecular scissor technology that allows for precise insertion, deletion or modification of genes, so that genetic defects and grave illnesses become better treatable – as well as cheaper, faster and easier than all other approaches known so far. All over the world, researchers are examining this approach and analyzing its potentials – also at RWTH.

On Stage

Professor Martin Zenke, Chair of Cell Biology at RWTH Aachen, Professor Robert Schmitt, Director of the Chair of Production Metrology and Quality Management at WZL, the RWTH Laboratory of Machine Tools, as well as Professor Detlef Bartsch, Head of the Genetic Engineering Department of the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety, will jointly present the research that is being conducted in the field of CRISPR-Cas9. They will discuss the risks and benefits involved with using the molecular scissors and will furthermore be available to answer any questions the audience may have.

The event will be moderated by Jens Tervooren of WDR.

Source: Press and Communications