Awarded the 9th Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Biology and Biomedicine, biologist Francisco M. Mojica recounts in this interview how he discovered the CRISPR system, a finding that completely transformed molecular biology and opened the door to gene editing. Mojica explains how the study of microorganisms in extreme environments led to the identification of a revolutionary immune mechanism, and how basic research—patient, rigorous, and driven by curiosity—was key to understanding its workings. He also reflects on the biomedical applications of CRISPR, its potential for developing new therapies, and the ethical debates associated with genetic modification. His account highlights the importance of fundamental science as the driving force behind world-changing innovations.
The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Biomedicine category is shared, in this ninth edition, by E
Awarded the 9th Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Biology and Biomedicine, biologist Francisco M. Mojica recounts in this interview how he discovered the CRISPR system, a finding that completely transformed molecular biology and opened the door to gene editing. Mojica explains how the study of microorganisms in extreme environments led to the identification of a revolutionary immune mechanism, and how basic research—patient, rigorous, and driven by curiosity—was key to understanding its workings. He also reflects on the biomedical applications of CRISPR, its potential for developing new therapies, and the ethical debates associated with genetic modification. His account highlights the importance of fundamental science as the driving force behind world-changing innovations.
The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Biomedicine category is shared, in this ninth edition, by Emmanuelle Charpentier, Jennifer Doudna and Francisco Martínez Mojica, for creating the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing techniques that have triggered a revolution in biology, equipping laboratories with a powerful tool to understand gene function and biological systems, and as a way to treat disease.
00:00 Introduction
00:05 Could you tell us how you first came to work on CRISPR, and whether you imagined its potential at the time?
00:55 Do you interpret the award you have received together with Professors Charpentier and Doudna as recognition of the importance of basic knowledge in biomedicine?
01:57 What are you currently working on?
