I'm reading about CRISPR base editing vs prime editing for a class — what can prime editing do that base editors can't?

Prime editing and base editing are both precise gene-editing tools, but they differ significantly in their versatility.

The primary advantage of prime editing is its flexibility in the types of edits it can perform.

• Beyond simple transitions: Base editors are highly efficient at "base conversions" (changing one DNA letter to another, such as C to T or A to G). However, they are restricted to these specific point mutations. Prime editing can perform those same transitions, but it can also perform "transversions" (e.g., C to A or G to T), which base editors generally cannot do.
• Insertions and Deletions (Indels): Prime editing can precisely insert new DNA sequences or delete specific segments of existing DNA. Base editors are unable to perform insertions or deletions; they can only swap existing letters.
• Search-and-replace: Prime editing acts more like a "word processor" for DNA. Because it uses a specialized guide RNA (pegRNA) that contains both the targeting information and the actual replacement template, it can write new genetic information into a specific site without requiring a double-strand break in the DNA.

In short: base editors are highly efficient "swappers" of specific DNA letters, while prime editors act as versatile "editors" capable of swapping, inserting, and deleting, making them much more adaptable for correcting a wider range of disease-causing mutations.