CRISPR tools found in thousands of viruses could boost gene editing
By Heidi Ledford,
Nature
| 11. 23. 2022
A systematic sweep of viral genomes has revealed a trove of potential CRISPR-based genome-editing tools.
CRISPR–Cas systems are common in the microbial world of bacteria and archaea, where they often help cells to fend off viruses. But an analysis1 published on 23 November in Cell finds CRISPR–Cas systems in 0.4% of publicly available genome sequences from viruses that can infect these microbes. Researchers think that the viruses use CRISPR–Cas to compete with one another — and potentially to manipulate gene activity in their host to their advantage.
Some of these viral systems were capable of editing plant and mammalian genomes, and possess features — such as a compact structure and efficient editing — that could make them useful in the laboratory.
“This is a significant step forward in the discovery of the enormous diversity of CRISPR–Cas systems,” says computational biologist Kira Makarova at the US National Center for Biotechnology Information in Bethesda, Maryland. “There is a lot of novelty discovered here.”
DNA-cutting defences
Although best known as a tool used to alter genomes in the laboratory, CRISPR–Cas can function...
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Following a long-standing CGS tradition, we present a selection of our favorite Biopolitical Times posts of the past year.
In 2025, we published up to four posts every month, written by 12 authors (staff, consultants and allies), some in collaboration and one simply credited to CGS.
These titles are presented in chronological order, except for three In Memoriam notices, which follow. Many more posts that are worth your time can be found in the archive. Scroll down and “VIEW...
