Watershed moments in science rarely arrive with fanfare. More often, they emerge quietly—tucked away in the unlikeliest places, like the DNA of bacteria—before rippling outward to reshape entire fields. CRISPR, short for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, is one such revolution. Initially a bacterial defense system against viruses, it has been repurposed into one of the most powerful tools in modern biology: a method for editing genes with unparalleled precision.
Image Credit: CI Photos/Shutterstock.com
At the heart of this technology is the Cas9 protein, often likened to molecular scissors, capable of cutting strands of DNA at specific locations dictated by a single guide RNA. With this mechanism, researchers are granted the ability to rewrite the genetic code of living organisms with great efficiency, bringing one-time cures previously relegated to the world of science fiction within the ambit of real science.1
What’s more, the versatility of CRISPR has seen it move rapidly from lab benches to clinics, farms, and factories. It has been used to fix genetic disorders like sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia,2 generate CAR-T cells to fight cancer,1 and engineer crops and livestock with enhanced resistance to disease.3,4
At conferences like Pittcon, where analytical chemistry and life science collide, CRISPR’s growing influence is unmistakable, taking a prominent place in the Bioanalytical & Life Sciences and Pharmaceutical & Biologics tracks.
But behind its transformative potential lies a complexity that demands careful attention. The precision of CRISPR isn’t simply granted—it’s engineered, refined, and constantly scrutinized. And there are few places where that complexity is more evident than in the intricate design of the guide RNA.
Guide RNA: The molecular compass of CRISPR
The Cas9 protein is often described as the scalpel of gene editing, but without the guide RNA (gRNA), it would be adrift. The gRNA functions as the system’s targeting mechanism, leading Cas9 to the exact genetic coordinates requiring editing. In gene therapy, where the goal is to correct harmful mutations permanently, the accuracy of the gRNA is vital.
Manufacturing this tiny molecule, however, is far from straightforward. The process typically involves solid-phase synthesis, a technique that, while effective, is prone to introducing impurities and fostering complex secondary structures within the RNA. These structural quirks can impair the gRNA’s ability to guide Cas9 accurately, increasing the risk of off-target effects—an unacceptable margin of error when editing human genomes.5
At Pittcon, Dr. Bingchuan Wei, Senior Principal Scientist at Genentech, will dissect the challenges of generating gRNA in his talk: Untangling gRNA Complexity with Advanced Chromatography. Dr. Wei will delve into the nuanced chemistry of gRNA synthesis, highlighting how seemingly minor imperfections can cascade into major functional issues.
Using a suite of liquid chromatography techniques—including Ion Pairing Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography (IP-RPLC), Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography (HILIC), and Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC)—he explores how to isolate and analyze the structural integrity of gRNA molecules.
Dr. Wei’s research focuses on developing advanced analytical technologies to elucidate the structural-functional relationships of therapeutics, significantly contributing to drug development and the broader biopharmaceutical industry.
With over 30 published papers and more than 30 oral presentations, Dr. Wei actively shapes the scientific community through his roles on the organizing committee of the International Symposium on the Separation of Proteins, Peptides, and Polynucleotides (ISPPP) and the executive committee of the Chinese American Chromatography Association (CACA), a longtime Pittcon partner.6
CRISPR in diagnostics: Precision medicine at the point of care
CRISPR’s capacity to cut and modify genes has understandably dominated headlines, but its utility as a diagnostic tool is equally groundbreaking. The same molecular machinery that allows CRISPR to target DNA for editing can be adapted to detect the presence of specific genetic material—offering a fast, reliable method for disease diagnostics, such as COVID-19 and human cytomegalovirus.7,8
Cas12 and Cas13, relatives of Cas9, are particularly adept at this task. When these enzymes locate their target sequence in a sample—be it viral RNA or bacterial DNA—they trigger a collateral cleavage reaction that can be harnessed to produce a detectable signal. This principle forms the backbone of several CRISPR-based diagnostic platforms, capable of identifying pathogens without the need for complex lab equipment.7
At Pittcon, Professor Can Dincer from Munich Garching Technical University will introduce one of the most promising examples of CRISPR technology in his talk: CRISPR-Powered Multiplexed Biosensors for Point-of-Care Testing of Diseases and Beyond. Prof. Dincer’s team has developed BiosensorX, a microfluidic electrochemical biosensor that leverages CRISPR’s sensitivity to detect multiple diseases simultaneously—without requiring target amplification steps that often complicate traditional diagnostics.
This system has already demonstrated its ability to detect viruses like SARS-CoV-2 and cytomegalovirus and can even monitor therapeutic drug levels, such as β-lactam antibiotics. For healthcare providers, such rapid and versatile diagnostics could reshape treatment strategies, particularly in settings with limited laboratory resources.9
An expert in the design and development of bioanalytical materials, sensors, and microsystems, Prof. Dicer, uses his research to integrate data science and artificial intelligence to advance the One-Health approach, addressing human and animal health as well as environmental monitoring.10
Pittcon: Where innovation meets application
CRISPR’s journey from a bacterial curiosity to the cornerstone of modern biotechnology is a testament to the interconnectedness of scientific disciplines. Its development has drawn from microbiology, chemistry, engineering, and computational biology, each field contributing important insights to the broader puzzle.
Pittcon reflects this same spirit of interdisciplinary collaboration. As a hub for analytical chemists, biologists, and pharmaceutical researchers, it offers a forum where fundamental research and applied science converge. The conference’s inclusion of CRISPR in both the Bioanalytical & Life Sciences and Pharmaceutical & Biologics tracks underscores the technology’s cross-sector impact—spanning from basic molecular research to the front lines of clinical medicine.
For those eager to learn more, visit Pittcon.org for more information on the full program and the many voices shaping the conversation around CRISPR and its future.
References and further reading
- Song, P., et al. (2024). CRISPR/Cas-based CAR-T cells: production and application. Biomarker Research, (online) 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40364-024-00602-z.
- European medicines agency (2023). First gene editing therapy to treat beta thalassemia and severe sickle cell disease | European Medicines Agency. (online) Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/first-gene-editing-therapy-treat-beta-thalassemia-and-severe-sickle-cell-disease.
- Muha-Ud-Din, G., et al. (2024). CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing: A revolutionary approach for crop improvement and global food security. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology, (online) 129, p.102191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmpp.2023.102191.
- The University of Edinburgh. (2022). PRRS Resistant Pigs. (online) Available at: https://vet.ed.ac.uk/roslin/engagement/facilities/larif/case-studies/industry-partners.
- GenScript. (2024). Improving sgRNA Purity through Advanced Purification Techniques | GenScript. (online) Available at: https://www.genscript.com/improving-sgrna-purity-through-purification-process-improvement.html (Accessed 22 Feb. 2025).
- Pittcon. (2025). Unveiling the Structural Complexity of Guide RNA, A Critical Reagent Used in CRISPR Gene Therapy. (online) Available at: https://labscievents.pittcon.org/event/pittcon-2025/planning/UGxhbm5pbmdfMjQ1Mzk4MA== (Accessed 22 Feb. 2025).
- Brogan, D.J. and Akbari, O.S. (2022). CRISPR Diagnostics: Advances toward the Point of Care. Biochemistry. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00051.
- Shin, K., et al. (2024). Rapid and sensitive point-of-care diagnosis of human cytomegalovirus infection using RPA-CRISPR technology. Heliyon, 10(7), pp.e28726–e28726. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28726.
- Pittcon. (2025). CRISPR-powered multiplexed biosensors for point-of-care testing of diseases and beyond. (online) Available at: https://labscievents.pittcon.org/event/pittcon-2025/planning/UGxhbm5pbmdfMjQ1MzcwOA== (Accessed 22 Feb. 2025).
- ResearchGate. (2021). Can DINCER | W3 Professor (Associate) | Professor | Technical University of Munich, München | TUM | Department of Electrical Engineering | Research profile. (online) Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Can-Dincer (Accessed 22 Feb. 2025).
About Pittcon
Pittcon is the world’s largest annual premier conference and exposition on laboratory science. Pittcon attracts more than 16,000 attendees from industry, academia and government from over 90 countries worldwide.
Their mission is to sponsor and sustain educational and charitable activities for the advancement and benefit of scientific endeavor.
Pittcon’s target audience is not just “analytical chemists,” but all laboratory scientists — anyone who identifies, quantifies, analyzes or tests the chemical or biological properties of compounds or molecules, or who manages these laboratory scientists.
Having grown beyond its roots in analytical chemistry and spectroscopy, Pittcon has evolved into an event that now also serves a diverse constituency encompassing life sciences, pharmaceutical discovery and QA, food safety, environmental, bioterrorism and cannabis/psychedelics
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