Evidence of ancient bacteria is present in rock discolorations. A resurrected enzyme from a historical bacterium like these could enhance gene editing systems.
Credit: iStock.com/Hans Wismeijer
An enzyme reconstructed from a three-billion-year-old bacterium widens gene editing capabilities to even more regions of the genome.
The discovery of CRISPR as the bacterial immune system and its DNA-cutting ability kickstarted the gene editing revolution that began around 2012. CRISPR has two components: a guide RNA and a nuclease. The RNA brings the nuclease to matching sites around the genome, and the nuclease cuts DNA at these sites. This can disrupt genes or replace sequences.
Before the nuclease cuts into the genome, it checks for a short nearby sequence called the protospacer…