Anderson Lecture Series: Luciano Marraffini

Denison University welcomes Anderson Science Lecture Visiting Scholar Professor Luciano Marraffini of The Rockefeller University for his lecture, “CRISPR-Cas: from bacterial immunity to gene editing.” 

Marraffini is internationally recognized for discoveries that helped transform CRISPR from a natural bacterial defense system into one of the most powerful tools in modern science. Born in Rosario, Argentina, Marraffini completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Rosario and earned his Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Chicago. Following his graduate work, he joined the faculty at The Rockefeller University in 2010. He is a Rita Allen Foundation Scholar, a Searle Scholar, and a recipient of the NIH Director’s New Innovator and Pioneer Awards. 

Marraffini’s laboratory studies CRISPR-Cas systems, which confer adaptive immunity against plasmid and viral infection of prokaryotes. Molecular genetic and biochemical approaches are used to analyze the genesis and function of these systems and answer fundamental questions about how CRISPR-Cas systems destroy their targets, how the genetic memory of the invader is generated, and how CRISPR-Cas immunity affects the evolution of bacteria and archaea, particularly of bacterial pathogens. By performing detailed analyses of the underlying molecular mechanisms of CRISPR immunity, Marraffini’s research enabled the manipulation of this natural pathway for the development of revolutionary gene editing technologies. 

In his public lecture, “CRISPR-Cas: from bacterial immunity to gene editing” Marraffini will explore the origins of CRISPR as a bacterial immune system and show how basic research into microbial biology led to breakthroughs now shaping medicine and biotechnology. 

Hosted by Denison’s Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, the Anderson Science Lecture Series brings distinguished scholars to campus to engage students, faculty, and the broader community.