"Surprising Discovery: Algae, Snails, and More House Thousands of DNA-cutters"

Scientists at MIT's McGovern Institute for Brain Research have discovered thousands of programmable DNA-cutting enzymes called Fanzors in various organisms, including snails, algae, and amoebas. Fanzors are RNA-guided enzymes that can be programmed to cut DNA at specific sites, similar to the widely used gene-editing system CRISPR. This newfound diversity of Fanzor enzymes provides researchers with a wide range of programmable enzymes that could be utilized in research and medicine. The hope is that these enzymes, which naturally evolved in eukaryotic organisms, may be better suited for safe and efficient use in other eukaryotic organisms, including humans.