CRISPR-Based Gene Editing in Microorganisms: Revolutionizing Modern Microbial Biotechnology
Keywords:
CRISPR-Cas9, Microbial Biotechnology, Gene Editing, Metabolic Engineering, Synthetic Biology, Antimicrobial Resistance, Biofuel Production, Genetic ManipulationAbstract
The emergence of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) and the CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins has redefined the landscape of molecular biology and microbial biotechnology. Originally discovered as a microbial adaptive immune system, CRISPR-Cas technology has evolved into a powerful, precise, and cost-effective gene-editing tool. This research explores the transformative impact of CRISPR-based gene editing in microorganisms, emphasizing its role in metabolic engineering, antimicrobial resistance control, biofuel production, and pharmaceutical biosynthesis. Through a mixed-method approach combining literature review and case-based analysis, the study demonstrates how CRISPR enhances microbial strain improvement, accelerates genetic manipulation, and supports sustainable biotechnological applications. The findings underline CRISPR’s potential in redefining industrial microbiology, environmental biotechnology, and therapeutic development.
