The CRISPR-Cas9 tool, which allows for multiple targeted modifications of any DNA in vitro, has been perfected for purposes such as fungal and disease-resistant plants, animal disease models, the treatment of defective organs, lowering cholesterol levels, repairing stem cells in vitro, blocking AIDS infection, and many others. The discovery was made by Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier of the University of California, Berkeley, and simultaneously by Virginijus Siksnys of Vilnius University in Lithuania.
