Scott Bailey

Research Overview

Currently, my laboratory focuses on the CRISPR-Cas system, an RNA-based adaptive immune system found in bacteria that protects against invasion by viruses and plasmids. Mechanistic studies of the CRISPR-Cas system is contributing to ongoing efforts aimed at exploiting this system to both protect domesticated bacteria (such as those used in food and pharmaceutical production) and combat human pathogens and the spread of antibiotic resistance. Moreover, RNA-guided nucleases from the CRISPR-Cas system are currently being adapted for genome editing and regulation strategies in a wide variety of organisms, including humans. Indeed, the potential of the CRISPR-Cas toolkit is just being realized and studies centered on understanding how the CRISPR-Cas systems function represents an important need. To this end, my laboratory has provided structural and mechanistic insight into how CRISPR-Cas systems identify and destroy their DNA targets.