CRISPR
This term is an acronym for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats. In scientific discourse, it is almost always used as a proper noun or a specialized technical term, typically appearing in uppercase. While it refers to a biological sequence found in nature, in common parlance it is most frequently used as a shorthand for the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology.
Because it describes a specific biochemical mechanism or a proprietary-like tool, it is treated as an uncountable noun. One does not refer to multiple "CRISPRs" when discussing the technology; instead, researchers refer to "CRISPR systems," "CRISPR arrays," or "CRISPR-based methods" to denote plurality or variety.
Meanings
A specialized region of DNA with short repeating sequences, separated by spacers, which allows bacteria and archaea to recognize and defend against viral infections by storing genetic fragments of previous invaders.\n\nIn biotechnology, it refers to the CRISPR-Cas9 system, a precise genome-editing tool that allows scientists to permanently modify genes within cells of living organisms by cutting specific sequences of DNA.
The researchers used CRISPR to remove the mutation responsible for the genetic disorder.