Gene Editing & CRISPR Internship Task Portal Access 03
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Hi Interns ,
Welcome to the Internship Task Portal .
Here you will get all the intimations regarding your tasks , sessions , assignments and any updated briefing .
(The information and content provided in this portal is purely confidential and is under protected surveillance by the technical support team.)
🧬 Gene Editing & CRISPR – Internship Update
The Gene Editing & CRISPR Internship is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in modern biotechnology and genome engineering techniques. This program focuses on understanding gene editing technologies, particularly CRISPR-Cas systems, and their applications in healthcare, agriculture, genetic research, and biotechnology.
Throughout the internship, participants will:
- Learn the fundamentals of genetics and molecular biology
- Understand CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing mechanisms
- Explore DNA sequencing and genome analysis concepts
- Study gene knockout, gene insertion, and gene repair techniques
- Analyze real-world applications of gene editing in medicine and agriculture
- Work on bioinformatics tools used in genome research
- Complete a mini-project related to CRISPR-based research applications
Each task includes:
- 📺 Session-based learning
- 📝 Notes preparation
- 💻 Practical case-study analysis
- 📊 Research-based assignments
- 📤 Submission via Google Forms
By the end of the internship, students will gain practical knowledge of gene editing technologies, genome engineering, CRISPR applications, and modern biotechnology research, preparing them for opportunities in genetics, biotechnology, molecular biology, bioinformatics, pharmaceutical research, and life sciences industries.
✅ TASK 1: Introduction to CRISPR (HHMI BioInteractive)
🎯 Objective:
Understand the fundamental biological concepts of CRISPR as outlined by HHMI BioInteractive.
📹 Session:
👉Click here to Watch your uploaded session
📝 Task:
• Write notes on:
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Origin of CRISPR in bacterial immune systems
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Basic mechanisms of gene tracking and cutting
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Role of Cas proteins in defensive mechanisms
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Key takeaways from the HHMI overview
🔬 Practice / Research:
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Research how bacteria naturally use CRISPR to fight off viral infections.
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Write a short summary explaining how researchers adapted this bacterial system for lab use.
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List 3 key differences between traditional gene editing and CRISPR.
📄 Practice Activity:
Write a short paragraph explaining:
“The significance of discovering the CRISPR-Cas system in nature.”
📊 Internship Task Completion Status Form:
After completing this task, interns must fill out the Internship Task Completion Status Form and upload their notes/practice work.
🔗 Form Link: https://forms.gle/dcfdpoDgksgP9KUY8
✅ TASK 2: Core Mechanisms of CRISPR
🎯 Objective:
Deepen your core understanding of how CRISPR molecular machinery targets and edits genetic sequences.
📹 Session:
👉 Click here to Watch your uploaded session
📝 Task:
• Write notes on:
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Core components: Guide RNA (gRNA) and Cas9 enzyme
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DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs)
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Cellular repair pathways: Non-Homologous End Joining (NHEJ) vs. Homology-Directed Repair (HDR)
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Accuracy and targeting efficiency
🔬 Practice / Research:
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Research the role of single guide RNA (sgRNA) in directing the Cas9 protein to a specific genomic locus.
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Write a short summary outlining how the cell repairs its DNA after Cas9 makes a cut.
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List 4 common laboratory applications of standard CRISPR-Cas9.
📄 Practice Activity:
Write a short paragraph explaining:
“How the pairing of guide RNA ensures specific targeting within a vast genome.”
📊 Internship Task Completion Status Form:
After completing this task, interns must fill out the Internship Task Completion Status Form and upload their notes/practice work.
🔗 Form Link: https://forms.gle/dcfdpoDgksgP9KUY8
✅ TASK 3: Understanding the PAM Sequence
🎯 Objective:
Master the structural requirements of gene editing, focusing specifically on the Protospacer Adjacent Motif (PAM).
📹 Session:
👉 Click here to Watch your uploaded session
📝 Task:
• Write notes on:
-
Definition and biological purpose of the PAM sequence
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How Cas9 recognizes and binds to PAM (e.g., 5′-NGG-3′)
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What happens to targeting efficiency if a PAM sequence is missing
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Differences in PAM requirements among different Cas enzymes
🔬 Practice / Research:
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Research why the host bacterium’s own CRISPR locus is protected from self-cleavage due to the absence of a PAM.
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Write a short summary explaining how PAM restrictions limit or guide therapeutic target selection.
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List 3 engineering strategies scientists use to bypass rigid PAM restrictions.
📄 Practice Activity:
Write a short paragraph explaining:
“The biophysical step-by-step process of Cas9 interrogating DNA looking for a PAM site.”
📊 Internship Task Completion Status Form:
After completing this task, interns must fill out the Internship Task Completion Status Form and upload their notes/practice work.
🔗 Form Link: https://forms.gle/dcfdpoDgksgP9KUY8
✅ TASK 4: Realities and Ethics of Gene Editing
🎯 Objective:
Analyze the realistic expectations, limitations, and ethical landscapes of implementing CRISPR technology as highlighted by NOVA.
📹 Session:
👉 Click here to Watch your uploaded session
📝 Task:
• Write notes on:
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Current public and scientific consensus on human germline vs. somatic editing
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Practical challenges in therapeutic delivery methods (e.g., viral vectors, nanoparticles)
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Societal, economic, and accessibility realities of gene therapies
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Key case studies or regulatory frameworks mentioned in the NOVA feature
🔬 Practice / Research:
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Research an ongoing clinical trial utilizing CRISPR gene editing (e.g., for Sickle Cell Disease or Thalassemia).
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Write a short summary discussing the ethical balance between curing genetic diseases and preventing “designer baby” scenarios.
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List 5 significant hurdles preventing global widespread access to gene editing therapeutics.
📄 Practice Activity:
Write a short paragraph explaining:
“The distinction between somatic gene editing and germline gene editing, and why it matters ethically.”
📊 Internship Task Completion Status Form:
After completing this task, interns must fill out the Internship Task Completion Status Form and upload their notes/practice work.
🔗 Form Link: https://forms.gle/dcfdpoDgksgP9KUY8
✅ TASK 5: Deep Dive into Genome Editing with CRISPR-Cas9
🎯 Objective:
Examine the exact molecular mechanisms and biochemical structural transitions that occur during the CRISPR-Cas9 editing process.
📹 Session:
👉 Click here to Watch your uploaded session
📝 Task:
• Write notes on:
-
Structural domains of the Cas9 protein (Recognition lobe vs. Nuclease lobe)
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Conformational changes upon RNA and DNA binding
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HNH and RuvC nuclease domains and how they cut opposing strands of DNA
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High-fidelity variants designed to minimize errors
🔬 Practice / Research:
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Research modern alternatives or modifications to standard Cas9, such as base editors or prime editors.
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Write a short summary explaining the catalytic activity of the HNH and RuvC active sites.
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List 4 ways synthetic biologists have optimized the CRISPR-Cas9 complex for better efficiency.
📄 Practice Activity:
Write a short paragraph explaining:
“How base editing differs from traditional CRISPR-Cas9 cutting and why it reduces double-strand break errors.”
📊 Internship Task Completion Status Form:
After completing this task, interns must fill out the Internship Task Completion Status Form and upload their notes/practice work.
🔗 Form Link: https://forms.gle/dcfdpoDgksgP9KUY8
✅ TASK 6: Global Impacts and What You Need to Know
🎯 Objective:
Evaluate the macro-perspective of biotechnology breakthroughs, safety oversight, and community bio-innovation led by insights from Ellen Jorgensen.
📹 Session:
👉 Click here to Watch your uploaded session
📝 Task:
• Write notes on:
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Democratization of biotechnology and the DIY bio-community
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Misconceptions vs. scientific facts regarding CRISPR safety
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Environmental implications (e.g., Gene drives in pest control)
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Biosecurity and responsible innovation frameworks
🔬 Practice / Research:
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Research how a “Gene Drive” works to alter an entire wild population and its potential ecological risks.
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Write a short summary on Ellen Jorgensen’s perspective regarding public scientific literacy and fear-mongering around genetic modifications.
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List 5 industries (outside of human medicine) heavily impacted by CRISPR innovation (e.g., agriculture, biofuels).
📄 Practice Activity:
Write a short paragraph explaining:
“The responsibility of the scientific community in communicating CRISPR capabilities and limitations to the general public.”
📊 Internship Task Completion Status Form:
After completing this task, interns must fill out the Internship Task Completion Status Form and upload their notes/practice work.
🔗 Form Link: https://forms.gle/dcfdpoDgksgP9KUY8
✅ TASK 7: Off-Target Effects and Mitigating Backfires
🎯 Objective:
Investigate the technical limitations, risks of off-target mutations, and systemic challenges when CRISPR protocols do not go as planned.
📹 Session:
👉 Click here to Watch your uploaded session
📝 Task:
• Write notes on:
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Definition and consequences of off-target cleavage events
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Chromosomal rearrangements, large deletions, and unintended genotoxicity
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Causes of “backfiring” (e.g., guide RNA mismatches, prolonged Cas9 expression)
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Modern screening and validation methods used to detect off-target mutations (e.g., GUIDE-seq, double-strand break sequencing)
🔬 Practice / Research:
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Research modern high-fidelity or “inducible” Cas9 variants engineered specifically to decrease off-target incidents.
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Write a short summary detailing the potential health risks if an off-target mutation occurs within a tumor suppressor gene during therapy.
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List 4 quality-control benchmarks required before a CRISPR therapy can progress to human clinical trials.
📄 Practice Activity:
Write a short paragraph explaining:
“How computational tools and AI assist bioinformaticians in predicting and minimizing off-target CRISPR binding sites before running wet-lab experiments.”
📊 Internship Task Completion Status Form:
After completing this task, interns must fill out the Internship Task Completion Status Form and upload their notes/practice work.