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Writer Fuel: Algorithm Reveals 188 New Types of CRISPR

scientist removes a snippet of DNA from a double helix - deposit photos - CRISPR

Scientists have unearthed 188 previously unknown types of CRISPR systems buried in the genomes of simple microorganisms. Best known as a powerful gene-editing tool, CRISPR actually comes from an inbuilt defense system found in bacteria and simple microbes called archaea. CRISPR systems include pairs of “molecular scissors” called Cas enzymes, which allow microbes to cut … Read more

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Writer Fuel: Enzyme Turns Hydrogen Into Electricity

tuberculosis bacterium - deposit photos

Scientists studying a cousin of the bacteria responsible for tuberculosis and leprosy have discovered an enzyme that converts hydrogen into electricity, and they think it could be used to create a new, clean source of energy literally from thin air. The enzyme, which has been named Huc, is used by the bacterium Mycobacterium smegmatis to … Read more