Professor Doudna Professor Doudna; a woman in search of the impossible. Jennifer Anne Doudna is an American biochemist, renowned worldwide for her inspiring work in the realms of the manipulation of DNA. Her journey to success: While she was in the early stages of her scientific career, Doudna worked on uncovering the structure and biological function of RNA enzymes, also known as ribozymes. During this period, Doudna’s prime focus was on engineering enzymes and understanding them in terms of structure and the way they act. In 2002, Professor Doudna accepted a faculty position at the University of California, Berkeley. The role she occupied there was a Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, joining her husband Jamie Cate who was a professor there. In 2012, while Doudna was working at the university, she and her colleagues made a groundbreaking discovery that would lead to her fame today. Their discovery was a method that reduced the time and effort required to edit genomic data. Their unearthing relied on a protein named Cas-9 ‘’CRISPR’’ immune system that cooperates with guide RNA and works like scissors. The protein attacks its prey, the DNA of viruses and slices it up, preventing it from infecting cells. This CRISPR system creates a new way to edit or remove DNA. Due to this discovery, they applied for a patent to test out their theory. Her discovery proved correct, which led to further testing. Although she does not yet test her discovery on humans subjects, she has successfully tried the system of destroying harmful DNA on a range of animals. What does she do now? Even now in lockdown, Doudna has continued to help the world as she leads a COVID-19 testing centre at UC Berkeley. She has won numerous awards and nominations, proving how great a scientist she is. By Sujana 7L
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