Avon Lake-based debut author Jennifer Handler has released a new thriller that combines real science with thrilling intrigue.
The novel “KRISPR” is a mixture of science fiction and thriller. In the plot, the protagonist Aliya McKenna has a key to eradicating a disease, which in the wrong hands could destroy humanity, according to a press release.
The story is based on a frightening reality and is due to the author’s genetic background, the press release says.
The focus is on a genuine, Nobel Prize-winning technology from genetics and one of humanity’s greatest innovations: gene editing with CRISPR/Cas 9.
CRISPR/Cas9 is a genome editing technology that consists of two essential components: a guide RNA that matches a desired target gene and Cas9 (CRISPR-associated protein 9) – an endonuclease that causes a double-stranded DNA break, thus enabling changes to the genome.
Handler is the pseudonym of Avon Lake resident Barbara Kuemerle, who teaches at Case Western Reserve University.
In addition to teaching courses in physiology and neuroscience, Kuemerle also earned her doctorate in genetics from Case Western.
And although Kuemerle has already been published in academic journals and written a custom text for a course she teaches, this is her first foray into the world of fiction, according to the press release.
“This topic is just so interesting to me and I wanted to create a story that would captivate readers and maybe teach them a little more about the topic,” Kuemerle said in the press release. “The main character has it all.
“She’s a college student. She’s beautiful, smart, and brave. Her family is close-knit. Her best friends are fierce and loyal. And she’s met her soul mate.
“When a world-renowned scientist asks her to collaborate, she jumps at the chance. It was all great – until it wasn’t. Faced with precarious decisions, her gambles become dangerous when she does the wrong thing for the right reasons and learns a valuable lesson in the process. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”
Kuemerle describes the current CRISPR Cas 9 technology as one of the most revolutionary discoveries of all time, the press release states.
“It shows great promise for treating and curing diseases,” the press release states. “It is used to treat diseases such as sickle cell anemia, but also many debilitating diseases such as blindness and muscular dystrophy. It may also have applications in curing Alzheimer’s disease.”
Kuemerle completed postdoctoral research in the Department of Neuroscience at the Cleveland Clinic and was a research associate in the Alzheimer’s Research Laboratory at the CWRU School of Medicine.
The book is available at www.JenniferHandler.com and on Amazon.
Kuemerle is also starting a regional reading tour and is available for lectures and author events via email at [email protected].
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