In this activity, students explore using CRISPR-Cas9 to knock out butterfly genes in order to determine their function. 

Students first learn how CRISPR-Cas9 identifies and alters a target sequence in DNA. They then design their own CRISPR-Cas9 system to inactivate a butterfly gene and examine the resulting phenotype. The activity includes an optional exercise in which students apply what they have learned to determine the function of a different gene. This activity can be used to review concepts of sequence complementarity, genotype-to-phenotype connections, and mutations.

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