The Power of CRISPR (for 5 classes)
This one to two week module explores how CRISPR gene-editing technology works and how it could be used to treat sickle cell disease, a genetic blood disorder. Students use CRISPR to edit bacterial genes as they investigate relationships between genes, proteins, and traits. They then discuss the ethics, risks, and benefits of using CRISPR for different applications.
Module Overview
Lesson 1: Students are introduced to sickle cell disease and CRISPR. They learn that genes are instructions for proteins that determine an organism’s traits.
Lesson 2: Students get an initial overview of how CRISPR can edit the DNA of an organism, and they conduct Part 1 of the lab.
Lesson 3: Students conduct Part 2 of the lab and learn more about how CRISPR works through video.
Lesson 4: Students conduct Part 3 of the lab and solidify their understanding of how CRISPR works by acting out the CRISPR mechanism.
Lesson 5: Students observe the results of the lab and create a model to demonstrate their understanding of how CRISPR works.
Lesson 6: Students read about the risks and benefits of using CRISPR to edit DNA and discuss the ethics of using CRISPR in different circumstances.
The Power of CRISPR, including a Foreword by Jennifer Doudna, UC Berkeley Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology and Chemistry and recipient of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was developed by the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California, Berkeley and the Innovative Genomics Institute at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, San Francisco.
This module is to be used solely for educational teaching and is not to be used in any research, whether academic or in collaboration with a third party. Any purchaser or recipient of these materials acknowledges that they may only be used for grades K–12 or undergraduate teaching purposes and, by purchasing or accepting this module, you agree to be bound by these terms and restrictions on use. Commercial licenses are available from Caribou Biosciences, Inc. (email: [email protected])
This module is designed for five classes, each with 32 students working in eight groups of four. Modules for fewer class periods are also available:
P330-1 (one class), P330-2 (two classes), P330-3 (three classes), P330-4 (four classes)
More Info
In addition to the materials package, this module contains a printed Teacher's Guide with complete instructions for teaching the lessons, student sheets and other resources, online digital resources including lesson videos and slide decks, and all equipment and reagents needed to teach one class section. This module arrives with a non-consumable base unit and five consumable packages. Each consumable package includes a voucher for perishable materials which are best ordered two weeks prior to anticipated use. Many of the consumable materials must be kept sterile and/or refrigerated.
Scientific Concepts
- Supports NGSS HS-LS1-1:
Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the structure of DNA determines the structure of proteins, which carry out the essential functions of life through systems of specialized cells.
- Supports NGSS HS-ETS1-1:
Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.
Guides & Student Sheets
Our kits and modules provide you with everything you need so you can open, review, and teach the material confidently the next day.
- Full downloadable Teacher Guide with background information, detailed instruction, example data and answers
- Downloadable Student Sheets with age appropriate background information, full procedure(s), and analysis questions
- All materials necessary to carry out the investigation
- Safety Data Sheets
Module Components
- 1 Non-consumable Base Unit
- 288 red beads 144 yellow beads 32 black beads 16 blue beads 16 plastic resealable bags (for bead sets) 16 12-inch chenille stems 8 foam microfuge tube holders 4 UV viewing boxes w/ black paper inserts 4 long-wave UV flashlights 1 serological pipette pump
- 5 Consumable Equipment Package for 1 class. Each package contains:
- 95 sterile graduated transfer pipettes 75 sterile inoculation loops 40 sterile petri dishes 32 15-mL sterile culture tubes 8 15-mL sterile conical tubes 1 sterile 10-mL serological pipette 1 Perishable Lab Materials Voucher (use to order materials 2 weeks prior to starting unit)
- Note: Each Perishable Lab Materials Voucher supplies:
- 1 75-mg container Component A: Ampicillin (for dishes) 1 6-mL container Component B: Glucose (for dishes) 1 350-mL container ReadyPour™ LB Agar 1 container of 10 “Experimental” CRISPR BactoBeads™ 1 container of 10 “Control” CRISPR BactoBeads™ 1 5-mL container Rehydration Media 1 0.6-mL container Component C: Ampicillin (for liquid LB) 1 0.6-mL container Component D: Chloramphenicol (for liquid LB) 1 0.6-mL container Component E: Glucose (for liquid LB) 1 55-mL container Liquid LB media, sterile 1 0.6-mL container Component F: Anhydrotetracycline (inducer) 1 10-mL container Component G: Arabinose (inducer) 8 1.5-mL sterile microfuge tubes
- 1 Teacher's Guide, printed copy