ABSTRACT
The interaction of the environment and the genotype of an organism determines its characteristics. A complete set of an organism’s genetic material is called its genome. The genome is composed of RNA and DNA. Microbes, animals, and plants also typically have either RNA or DNA or both as their genome. All the genetic information for the growth and development of the organism is contained in the genome. Genome editing tools are tools that can be used to edit the genome of any organism by manipulation of the specific gene loci to gain genome modifications, such as insertions, deletions, or point mutations. In the olden days, genetic studies relied on the discovery and analysis of spontaneous mutations. The first targeted genomic changes were produced in yeast and mice in the 1970s and 1980s. The foundation of the development of targeted genome editing is based on DNA repair mechanisms after its damage and the consequent structural changes in the DNA. Compared to conventional homologous recombination-based gene targeting, DNA nucleases, which are also referred to as genome editors (GEs), can increase the targeting rate by around 10,000- to 100,000-fold. Many benefits can accrue to economies as a result of adopting genome editing technologies. These benefits are mainly in agriculture, health, and environmental protection. It can also make species more resistant to disease and climate variations. The editing of DNA may mean the irreversible permanent change of genome information, and this process also faces inevitable security risks and ethical problems. All of the nucleases used in genome editing can be very effective, but none of them has perfect specificity. There is generally a low acceptance of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) globally. However, this is directed at mostly foodstuffs and less to other products.
