CRISPR-Cas Technology: A Novel Approach for Targeted Control of Pathogenic Microbes

Sarah Ali ¹, Ahmed M S Hegazy ², Habeeb Ali Baig ^3*, Dr Padmanabha BV ⁴, Muhammad Jan ⁵, Basem Salama ⁶, Dr Mohammed M. Mosaed ⁷

¹Department of Medical Basic Sciences, College of Medicine, Sulaiman Al-Rajhi University, Al Bukairiyah 51941, Al Qaseem, Saudi Arabia
²Department of Anatomy, Faculty of medicine, Northern Border University, Arar, 91431 Saudi Arabia
^3*Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Northern Border University, Arar-91431, Saudi Arabia
⁴Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Northern Border University, Arar-91431, Saudi Arabia
⁵Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine Northern Border University, Arar-91431, Saudi Arabia
⁶Department of Community and Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Northern Border University, Arar-91431, Saudi Arabia; Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Egypt
⁷Department of Anatomy, Faculty of medicine, Northern Border University, Arar, 91431 Saudi Arabia

Author information

¹Email: s.saeed@sr.edu.sa
²Email: Ahmed0562301954@yahoo.com
^3*Email: docbaig@yahoo.com
⁴Email: ppadmanabha1978@yahoo.co.in
ORCID: 0000-0002-5112-3225
⁵Email: drmuhammadjansmc@gmail.com
⁶Email: drbasemsalama@yahoo.com
⁷Email: m.mos048@gmail.com
ORCID: 0000-0002-5112-3225

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ABSTRACT

The eradication of challenging pathogenic microbes that are resistant to treatment, in combination with the fast-changing resistance of these microbes to antibiotics, creates an absolute necessity for the introduction of precision-based biological interventions. The bacteria's adaptive immune systems, first noticed as CRISPR-Cas systems, have now proven their worth as effective genome-editing tools with far-reaching microbial detection and elimination targeted applications. This study aims to investigate the impact, accuracy, and biological consequences of using CRISPR-Cas tools for controlling the expression of virulence and resistance genes in the microorganisms of interest. Gene editing through the carefully designed CRISPR constructs is done by using techniques such as the application of bacteriophages, plasmids, and nanoparticles to assess the gene editing efficiency, reduction of microbial load, off-target effects, and mutation patterns. The assessment will involve the use of various techniques: PCR, qPCR, whole-genome sequencing, growth curve modeling, and the adoption of bioinformatics pipelines. The statistical analysis carried out using SPSS software reveals that CRISPR-targeted gene disruption has resulted in a significant decline in both microbial viability and pathogenicity (p < 0.05), with bacteriophage-mediated delivery being the most precise. Furthermore, mutation analysis shows the presence of new escape variants, which indicate that CRISPR has indeed applied evolutionary pressure through its interventions. The research work contributes to the theoretical aspect by affirming that CRISPR is a precise antimicrobial modality and to the practical aspect by providing a model for future pathogen-control strategies. Such results have further strengthened the argument for CRISPR-based therapeutics and diagnostics, revealing their possible applications in the clinic, industrial biosafety, and pandemic preparedness. On the way to future research, attention should be given to the optimization of the delivery system, the long-term ecological impacts, and the establishment of the safety guidelines that will be applicable to genetic manipulation...

Keywords: CRISPR-Cas Systems; Antimicrobial Resistance; Pathogenic Microbes; Bacteriophage Delivery; Microbial Diagnostics; Virulence Gene Disruption; Precision Therapeutics; Microbial Genomics

How to cite this article: Ali S, Hegazy AMS, Baig HA, BV Padmanabha, Jan M, Salama B, Mosaed MM, CRISPR-Cas Technology: A Novel Approach for Targeted Control of Pathogenic Microbes. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(3s): 370-381; DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.3s.47