How to Create A Supersoldier: The Beginner's Guide to Gene Editing (Ft. @AtomsTalk )

Present all throughout pop culture, from Marvel's Captain America and Teen Titans Red Star to the clone troopers in Star Wars, super soldiers have been portrayed as ultra-powerful superhumans in various fictional universes. While some of them are heroes who have saved countless lives from powerful dangers, others are set on destruction and domination with no regard for human life. But what exactly is a super soldier? And more importantly, can the concept of a super soldier be implemented in reality? So first off, what is a super soldier? A super soldier is a human who has been genetically modified, that is, had their natural DNA altered by scientists to be stronger, faster, and more meticulous than a normal human being is naturally. While a super soldier has never been created before, the alteration of DNA by scientists to achieve other desired functions is done all the time in labs around the world. DNA consists of four different bases, arranged as a sequence of nucleotides that form genes with specific functions. A very specific order of the nucleotide bases codes for a certain function. Any change to the order, even if that change is just a single base, can completely alter the function of the gene. Genetic engineering utilizes this concept in order to change the function of a gene to complete a desired task. For example, if a natural mutation in a gene resulted in a cell not being able to synthesize a functional copy of a protein, that gene can be genetically modified, not only to be able to synthesize the normal copy of a protein, but to even synthesize a copy more efficient than the normal one. While many different methods exist to genetically modify DNA, we will discuss here one of the most promising and powerful methods of DNA alteration, CRISPR-Cas9. CRISPR stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, while Cas9 is short for CRISPR Associated Protein 9. Originally found in bacteria, CRISPR-Cas9 is a natural defense mechanism against viruses. The CRISPR portion of the CRISPR-Cas9 system consists of nucleotide sequences taken by the bacteria from invading viruses and stored as the sequences in the bacteria's own DNA. The Cas9 protein is an enzyme that recognizes viruses through the help of a guide RNA that is synthesized using the viral DNA or RNA stored in the CRISPR sequences. Cas9 then makes a cut at a restriction site in the viral DNA or RNA, thereby preventing it from hijacking the bacterial cell's machinery and propagating itself. A restriction site is a specific sequence of bases in DNA that can be recognized and cut by restriction enzyme proteins such as Cas9. Utilizing CRISPR-Cas9, scientists can cut sequences of DNA at a specific site, allowing for the insertion or deletion of bases that can remove, add, or change the function of a particular gene. The process by which a gene is removed or made inoperable is called a gene knockout, while the process by which a gene is added or its function is changed is called a gene knock-in. There have been several examples of CRISPR being used to For example, both knockout and knock-ins have been performed on mice to reverse the effects of blindness. Blindness in mice is caused by the degeneration of rod photoreceptors due to the mutations in various genes. However, by implementing CRISPR-Cas9 and targeting the NRL gene, the rod survival rate can be increased, thereby slowing down and preventing the retinal degeneration that leads to blindness. This treatment, when tried on three different groups resulted in the improvement of rod survival and gain of malfunction rods in all three groups. Similar to tests performed on mice, CRISPR has been used on other organisms showing positive results. Zebrafish have been used to study autism spectrum disorder, while fruit flies have been used to study cancer. CRISPR has also been used in cuttlefish, pigs, and ants. So how exactly can CRISPR be used on a human to create a super soldier? Super soldiers tend to be stronger and faster than normal humans, with greater endurance and heightened senses. It would then make sense for CRISPR to be utilized on genes that affect muscle growth, bone strength, lung capacity, heart strength, hearing, smell, vision, and the sensitivity of nerves. A typical procedure would entail designing genes that can encode specific functions you would want your super soldier to have. This might mean the production of more proteins to speed up a cellular function, the synthesis of new enzymes that are more powerful than the current enzyme present, or even production of new proteins that can add new functions to your cell of interest. At both ends of this new gene, a sequence of DNA bases complementary to a restriction site on the human DNA is present. You also need to design a guide RNA that the Cas9 protein will use to locate the restriction site to make a cut. Once a cut is made in the human DNA, the new gene can be inserted, and the new function coded for by that gene can be carried out by the cell. This can be done by several different new gene inserts to achieve a set of desired functions for your super soldier. So, can we actually create a super soldier? Theoretically, yes we can. However, due to several reasons, scientists have not implemented CRISPR on a large scale yet. While CRISPR has been used to combat cancer, blindness, and other genetic diseases, concerns about ethics, safety, and bioterrorism have slowed down its implementation in healthcare. In the United States, concerns have been brought up about unintended side effects that could be passed down to the next generation and quickly proliferate in the human population over the years. There have also been fears that CRISPR may be used by people for more sinister plans. While developing super soldiers to protect and benefit society sounds really great, the same genetic technique can be utilized by terrorist groups and criminal rings to hurt people. CRISPR should thus be used very carefully so that we can fully take advantage of its benefits while still addressing ethical and bioterrorism concerns. While a super soldier may not be implemented anytime soon, the usage of CRISPR to help cure or fix debilitating conditions such as cancer and mental disorders is definitely a possibility in the near future and will revolutionize healthcare. But outside of making super soldiers, CRISPR has many other applications which will be discussed further in this two-part collab with Adam's Talk. If you wish to learn more about how this amazing Cas9 enzyme is used, be sure to click the link and check out their video. But before you do that, hit the subscribe button and notification bell for the science-verse. And as always, stay tuned for more science videos.