VIPR lands in Science: RNA-guided DNA-targeting system predating CRISPR
SeyoneC · x · 2026-09-18
A research team has published two papers in Science announcing VIPR (Viral Interference Programmable Repeat), a programmable RNA-guided DNA-targeting system found hidden inside bacteriophages that predates CRISPR.
- VIPR uses entirely new logic to find its DNA targets, distinct from CRISPR
- The project began with a mysterious RNA, leading to an unexpected way of recognizing DNA
- The work also offers clues to the origins of CRISPR
- Papers and the original discovery thread are publicly available
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