# CRISPR Capture and Destroy Mechanisms

> **NIH NIH R35** · UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA · 2020 · $7,969

## Abstract

Project Summary
CRISPR-Cas systems are recently discovered RNA-based adaptive immune systems that control invasions of
viruses and other mobile genetic elements in prokaryotes. CRISPR-Cas systems function by capturing short
invader sequences within the CRISPR locus of the host genome, producing short crRNAs from the CRISPR
locus transcripts, and using the crRNAs to guide Cas protein-containing immune effector complexes to
recognize and destroy the invading nucleic acids. CRISPR-Cas based immunity is mediated by numerous and
diverse Cas proteins and a given organism may possess one or more of the twelve distinct sets of known
CRISPR-Cas immune modules. We currently know very little about how the key steps in the fascinating
CRISPR-Cas immune response pathways occur for most of the systems. Using a powerful combination of
molecular, genetic, structural, and biochemical approaches, we will determine the molecular basis for how
various CRISPR-Cas systems acquire foreign DNA sequence in their CRISPR locus memory banks to provide
heritable immunity against specific invaders. We will also delineate the mechanisms by which diverse crRNA-
Cas protein immune effector complexes selectively recognize and destroy foreign nucleic acids as a means to
combat the viruses and other transgressors. A comprehensive understanding of how the structurally and
functional diverse CRISPR-Cas immune systems each function is essential toward understanding the range of
mechanisms that have evolved to protect multitudes of prokaryotes from potentially lethal viral attack. The
knowledge gained by our research program will contribute directly to ongoing efforts aimed at exploiting
CRISPR-Cas systems as powerful research tools for genome editing and controlled gene expression as well
as novel CRISPR-based, sequence-specific antibiotics to selectively target human pathogens (bacteria and
viruses) and limit the spread of antibiotic resistance.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10230858
- **Project number:** 3R35GM118160-05S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
- **Principal Investigator:** MICHAEL P TERNS
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $7,969
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-08-06 → 2021-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10230858

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10230858, CRISPR Capture and Destroy Mechanisms (3R35GM118160-05S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10230858. Licensed CC0.

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