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Connecting genotypes, phenotypes and fitness: harnessing the power of CRISPR /Cas9 genome editing
Author(s) -
Bono Jeremy M.,
Olesnicky Eugenia C.,
Matzkin Luciano M.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
molecular ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.619
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1365-294X
pISSN - 0962-1083
DOI - 10.1111/mec.13252
Subject(s) - crispr , biology , genome editing , cas9 , computational biology , genome , genome engineering , evolutionary biology , genetics , gene
One of the fundamental goals in evolution and ecology is to identify the genetic basis of adaptive phenotypes. Unfortunately, progress towards this goal has been hampered by a lack of genetic tools available for nonmodel organisms. The exciting new development of the CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat)/Cas9 ( CRISPR ‐associated nuclease 9) genome‐editing system now promises to transform the field of molecular ecology by providing a versatile toolkit for manipulating the genome of a wide variety of organisms. Here, we review the numerous applications of this groundbreaking technology and provide a practical guide to the creation of genetic knockouts, transgenics and other related forms of gene manipulation in nonmodel organisms. We also specifically discuss the potential uses of the CRISPR /Cas9 system in ecological and evolutionary studies, which will further advance the field towards the long‐standing goal of connecting genotypes, phenotypes and fitness.