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The researchers found ways to recreate a simplified version of gastrulation in a dish by starting with a layer of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, meaning they can differentiate to become any cell type in the body. Next, the scientists added a protein called BMP4, a key signaling molecule in gastrulation, which causes the cells in the box to begin forming the three layers of cells present in the embryo. All cells appear to receive the same BMP4 signal, however, some transform into one cell type while others become different cell types. When creating a gastrulation model, researchers observed that iPS cells contain proteins that are the building blocks of tight junctions. They also noted that tight junctions do not always assemble, and that tight junctions between adjacent cells appear to render cells impervious to BMP4 signals. To confirm the importance of tight junctions in gastrulation, the researchers used CRISPR genome-editing technology to suppress the production of TJP1, a protein crucial for tight junction formation in iPS cells. When they applied BMP4 to cells lacking the TJP1 protein, every cell was activated, not just the peripubic cells. This discovery forms the basis of a new method for efficiently producing these unique cells. 

In a recent review published in the journal Nature Medicine, scientists discussed the results of a two-year weekly effort to track and communicate significant developments in medical AI. In particular, AI has been a game-changer in the crucial task of protein folding, which involves predicting the 3D structure of a protein from its chemical sequence. Improvements in protein structure prediction can reveal mechanistic information about a variety of events, including drug-protein interactions and mutation effects. With AI, non-invasive cancer screening, prognosis, and tumor origin identification are now possible. Moreover, deep learning has improved CRISPR-based gene editing by helping predict guide RNA activity and identifying anti-CRISPR protein families. According to one study, BioBERT, a model trained on a large corpus of medical literature, outperformed previous peers on natural language tasks such as answering biological questions.  

Berkeley’s Jennifer Doudna and her colleague from the Max Planck Institute Emmanuelle Charpentier head to court on December 6th to face off against MIT’s Feng Zhang and present their argument before three US Patent and Trademark Office judges on why they, not Zhang, deserve the to own the patent that potentially holds the key to eradicating all inherited diseases.

Agriculture giant Monsanto has licensed CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing technology from the Broad Institute for use in seed development, the company announced a step that will likely accelerate and simplify the creation of crops that are resistant to drought or have consumer-pleasing properties such as soybean oil with fats as healthy as those in olive oil.

But the deal comes with restrictions that speak to the startling power of CRISPR, as well as widespread public anxiety about genetically modified crops: Monsanto cannot use it for gene drive, the controversial technique that can spread a trait through an entire population, with unknown consequences.

Lexington, Mass.-based Homology Medicines launched today with a $43.5 million Series A preferred stock financing. 

Homology Medicines will focus on a new gene editing technology, which the founders claim are a better version of CRISPR-Cas9. None of the company’s work has been published, although one of the company’s investors indicates it will publish findings soon.

The anti-GMO activist says, “ Selective breeding is natural, and splicing DNA from one organism to another is so, not?"

The rotifer’s DNA repair mechanism works in a similar way to groundbreaking CRISPR gene editing technology — it gets rid of the bad and replaces with the good.

So it’s all a matter of perspective. A rotifer would probably find genetic manipulation through sex to be wholly unnatural, and a little gross. Borrowing foreign DNA to incorporate into its own? That, it can get behind.

Within the defense mechanism of bacteria, the so-called type III variants of the CRISPR gene produce small signal molecules. With the help of these small molecules, bacteria trigger a complex contingency plan that ensures that a virus can be fought optimally and on a broad front. Researchers have studied how this works and have discovered that the small signal molecules bind, among others, to a protein called CalpL, which thus becomes an active "protease". Proteases are enzymes that cleave proteins and thus function as protein scissors. Proteases are also used in the human immune system to transmit information at high speed. Finally, the researchers also found the target of their newly discovered protein scissors. It cuts a small protein molecule called CalpT, which acts as a safety lock for CalpS, a third protein molecule. CalpS is a very well-guarded protein that is released by the whole mechanism. It will drive the transcription machinery to specific genes, switching the bacteria's metabolism to defense. With the discovery of this complicated signaling cascade, the researchers have now uncovered a whole new aspect of CRISPR systems. The study was published in the renowned scientific journal "Nature". 

She’s still Jenny from the block, but now Jennifer Lopez is also the executive producer of a new drama called C.R.I.S.P.R., The Hollywood Reporter writes. Each episode of the new J Lo–produced show, slated to air on NBC, will investigate a criminal bio-attack based on the CRISPR gene-editing technique, from a genetic assassination attempt on the president to the framing of an unborn child for murder.

Microbiologists have discovered that the Cyanophage N1 virus carries a DNA sequence -- a CRISPR -- that is generally used by bacteria to fight off viral infection. The virus appears to use the stolen bits of immune system DNA to highjack their hosts' immune response.

A group of biotech veterans have debuted today a new company, Homology Medicine, with a bold claim that their underlying science is a better version of the gene editing methods, such as CRISPR-Cas9, that have captured the attention of patients, doctors, and scientists looking to treat desperate diseases.

UCR graduate researcher Cory Schwartz and professor of chemical and environmental engineering Ian Wheeldon have expanded the way yeast can be manipulated through the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats gene editing system (CRISPR-CAS9). With this new system, biofuels, adhesives and fragrances can be mass produced at a cheaper cost.