The term ‘clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats’ (CRISPR) has recently become synonymous with the genome-editing revolution. The RNA-guided endonuclease CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9), in particular, has attracted attention for its promise in basic research and gene editing-based therapeutics. CRISPR-Cas systems are efficient and easily programmable nucleic acid-targeting tools, with uses reaching beyond research and therapeutic development into the precision breeding of plants and animals and the engineering of industrial microbes. CRISPR-Cas systems have potential for many microbial engineering applications, including bacterial strain typing, immunization of cultures, autoimmunity or self-targeted cell killing, and the engineering or control of metabolic pathways for improved biochemical synthesis. In this review, we explore the fundamental characteristics of CRISPR-Cas systems and highlight how these features can be used in industrial settings.

“成簇规则间隔短回文重复序列”（CRISPR）一词最近已成为基因组编辑革命的代名词。尤其是 RNA 引导的核酸内切酶 CRISPR 相关蛋白 9 (Cas9)，因其在基础研究和基于基因编辑的治疗中的前景而引起了人们的关注。 CRISPR-Cas系统是高效且易于编程的核酸靶向工具，其用途不仅限于研究和治疗开发，还包括植物和动物的精准育种以及工业微生物工程。 CRISPR-Cas系统具有许多微生物工程应用的潜力，包括细菌菌株分型、培养物免疫、自身免疫或自靶向细胞杀伤，以及代谢途径的工程或控制以改善生化合成。在这篇综述中，我们探讨了 CRISPR-Cas 系统的基本特征，并重点介绍了如何在工业环境中使用这些特征。