News Genetics

Tweaking one gene with CRISPR switched the way a snail shell spirals

The first gene-edited snails confirm which gene is responsible for how a shell swirls

pond snails

MIRROR IMAGE Tweaking a gene with the gene editor CRISPR/Cas9 caused the shells of pond snails that normally coil to the right (top) to twist to the left (bottom).  

Courtesy Kuroda Lab

By Tina Hesman Saey

- More than 2 years ago

A genetic spin doctor sets snail shells to swirl clockwise, new research confirms.