Score: 0
Target: HBB Level 1: Euchromatin PAM: 1x Cas9: 3 Left
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About CRISPR Snipe

Guide CRISPR-Cas9 to the right PAM sites and edit DNA in this free online gene editing game about molecular precision in the genome.

CRISPR Snipe is a free online gene editing game where you launch Cas9 complexes on ballistic trajectories, bounce off histones and dodge methylation traps to snip target DNA mutations. This CRISPR game wraps real molecular biology in a physics slingshot.

CRISPR-Cas9 works like a molecular GPS plus scissors. A guide RNA reads the genome by base pairing until it finds a complementary target next to a short PAM sequence, then the Cas9 nuclease cuts both DNA strands. The cell repairs the break and you can hijack that repair to disable genes or paste in corrections.

The obstacles in the game are real barriers editors face. DNA wound around histones is inaccessible to Cas9 and dense methylation marks regions the machinery avoids, so chromatin state matters as much as sequence. Precision shots that spare healthy sequence mirror the off-target problem that researchers still work to solve in clinical gene therapy.

Key Science Concepts

What You'll Learn

Grade Level: High School, College

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How to play

  1. 1. Aim & Pull Back Drag backwards from the launcher to set launch angle and velocity. The dashed arc shows your trajectory.
  2. 2. Bounce & PAM Boost Bounce off purple histone spools to reach tight angles. Graze golden PAM sites to double your cut score.
  3. 3. Cleave Target DNA Hit the green target mutation site to make the double-strand break. Avoid sticky red methylation traps!

Frequently asked questions

Is CRISPR Snipe free to play?
Yes. CRISPR Snipe is completely free to play in your browser. There is no download, install or account needed.
What grade level is CRISPR Snipe for?
CRISPR Snipe is designed for High School, College students and works well as a classroom activity or homework.
Does CRISPR Snipe work on phones and tablets?
Yes. CRISPR Snipe runs in any modern browser on desktop computers, Chromebooks, tablets and phones in landscape mode.

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