The map of the gene-editing revolution
The CRISPR Atlas
Explore the technologies, treatments, diseases, scientists, companies, clinical trials and discoveries shaping the future of genetic medicine.
Explore gene editing
Seven ways scientists change genetic material. Each page opens with a plain-language explanation, then goes as deep as you want.
CRISPR-Cas9A protein that can be programmed with a short RNA guide to find one specific sequence in a genome and cut it.
Base EditingChemically converts one DNA letter into another at a chosen position, without cutting both strands of the double helix.
Prime EditingWrites a new stretch of DNA sequence directly into a chosen site, using a guide that carries the replacement text with it.
CRISPR-Cas12A family of CRISPR nucleases that cut DNA leaving staggered ends, use a different sequence requirement from Cas9, and can be smaller.
CRISPR-Cas13Targets RNA rather than DNA, so it can silence a gene's message without touching the genome itself.
Cas14 and miniature Cas systemsUnusually small CRISPR nucleases — roughly a third the size of Cas9 — discovered in archaea and bacteriophages.
RNA EditingChanges letters in the RNA message rather than in the DNA, so the effect is real but temporary and the genome is untouched.
Compare them side by sidePrecision, cutting, cargo size, delivery, maturity, risks
Diseases being targeted
Each disease page states plainly whether gene editing is an approved treatment, in trials, or still only a laboratory idea.
Sickle Cell DiseaseBlood disorders
Beta ThalassemiaBlood disorders
ATTR AmyloidosisMetabolic disease
Hereditary AngioedemaRare genetic disease
High Cholesterol and Familial HypercholesterolemiaCardiovascular disease
CancerCancer
Leukemia and LymphomaCancer
HIVInfectious disease
Duchenne Muscular DystrophyMuscular disease
Cystic FibrosisRare genetic disease
Treatments
Named medicines, with regulatory status stated on every record.
Approved gene-editing medicines in the Atlas: Casgevy (exagamglogene autotemcel) · Lyfgenia (lovotibeglogene autotemcel) · Zynteglo (betibeglogene autotemcel)
Clinical trials
Where the evidence actually gets made.
Companies to know
Who is building what, and how far along each programme is.
CRSP · Zug, Switzerland
CRISPR Therapeutics
Co-founded by Emmanuelle Charpentier, and the company behind the first approved CRISPR…
NTLA · Cambridge, Massachusetts
Intellia Therapeutics
Co-founded by Jennifer Doudna, and the company that first delivered CRISPR into a human…
BEAM · Cambridge, Massachusetts
Beam Therapeutics
Founded by David Liu and colleagues to commercialise base editing — precision changes to…
EDIT · Cambridge, Massachusetts
Editas Medicine
One of the first CRISPR companies, which discontinued its cell-therapy and eye programmes…
PRME · Cambridge, Massachusetts
Prime Medicine
Founded to commercialise prime editing, and the company behind the first published…
Private · Boston, Massachusetts
Verve Therapeutics
Built to turn heart disease into a one-time treatment, and acquired by Eli Lilly in 2025…
CRBU · Berkeley, California
Caribou Biosciences
Co-founded by Jennifer Doudna, using hybrid RNA-DNA guides intended to make editing…
SANA · Seattle, Washington
Sana Biotechnology
Engineering transplanted cells to be invisible to the immune system, so they can be given…
Scientists who changed the field
What each person actually contributed — attribution in this field is contested, and we say where.
Jennifer DoudnaStructural biochemist who, with Emmanuelle Charpentier, showed that Cas9 could be programmed with a single guide RNA to cut chosen DNA — and shared the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for it.
Emmanuelle CharpentierMicrobiologist who discovered tracrRNA, the missing component of the CRISPR-Cas9 system, and shared the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Jennifer Doudna.
Feng ZhangBioengineer who led one of the first demonstrations of CRISPR genome editing in human cells and discovered several new CRISPR systems including Cas12a and Cas13.
David LiuChemical biologist whose laboratory invented base editing and prime editing — the two techniques that changed gene editing from cutting to writing.
George ChurchGeneticist whose laboratory independently demonstrated CRISPR editing in human cells in 2013, and a founder of an unusually large number of genomics companies.
Virginijus ŠikšnysLithuanian biochemist who independently showed that Cas9 could be programmed to cut DNA, publishing in 2012 — and whose contribution is often omitted from popular accounts.
Latest gene-editing news
Real articles from named publishers. Every headline links to the original — we never rewrite or republish them.
CRISPR explained
Start at the very beginning. No biology background needed.
Start here
What is DNA?
DNA is a long chemical chain that stores the instructions for building and running a living thing, written in…
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What is a gene?
A gene is a stretch of DNA that carries the instructions for making one particular thing the cell needs —…
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What is a chromosome?
A chromosome is one very long DNA molecule packaged with proteins; humans normally have 46, in 23 pairs.
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What is a genome?
A genome is the complete set of genetic instructions in an organism — every chromosome, every gene, and…
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What is RNA?
RNA is DNA's working copy — a temporary, single-stranded version the cell makes when it needs to use a gene.
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What is a mutation?
A mutation is a change in DNA sequence. Most do nothing, some cause disease, and a few are beneficial.
Gene editing by the numbers
Live counts from the Atlas database — these are the number of records we hold, not an estimate of the size of the field.
Counts refresh on every page load. “Approved” means a national medicines regulator has authorised at least one product; it does not mean the therapy is available or suitable for any particular person.
