Bacterial protein puts the breaks on CRISPR–Cas13 editing

Scientists have discovered that a single protein derived from Listeria seeligeri – a type of bacteria commonly found in soil – could aid in greater specificity in the CRISPR–Cas13 editing process. CRISPR-based technologies have become indispensable tools across a broad spectrum of biological disciplines, allowing precise gene-editing for research and clinical purposes. Unlike other CRISPR systems, CRISPR–Cas13 can edit RNA; however previously researchers lacked a mechanism to control the editing process. Now, a multi-institute team of researchers from Rockefeller University, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Cornell University (all NY, USA) have expanded the CRISPR toolbox by demonstrating that a...