Discovery and seminal developments in the CRISPR field -- Occurrence, diversity of CRISPR-Cas systems and genotyping implications -- Evolution and classification of CRISPR-Cas systems and Cas protein families -- Regulation of CRISPR-based immune responses -- crRNA Biogenesis -- Distribution and mechanism of the Type I CRISPR/Cas Systems -- Type II - Streptococcus thermophilus -- Type III CRISPR-Cas Systems and the Roles CRISPR-Cas in Bacterial Virulence -- CRISPR-Cas Systems to Probe Ecological Diversity and Host-Viral Interactions -- Roles of CRISPR in regulation of physiological processes -- Applications of the versatile CRISPR-Cas systems -- CRISPRs in microbial community context

CRISPR-Cas is a recently discovered defense system which protects bacteria and archaea against invasion by mobile genetic elements such as viruses and plasmids. A wide spectrum of distinct CRISPR-Cas immune systems has been identified in at least half of the available prokaryotic genomes. On-going biochemical and functional analyses have resulted in substantial insight into the functions and possible applications of these fascinating systems, although many secrets remain to be uncovered. In this book, experts summarize the state of the art of this exciting field