Anthropic says Claude discovered a previously unknown enzyme system in phage DNA

QuintinPope5 · x · 2026-09-24

Anthropic announced that Claude discovered a previously unknown enzyme system hidden in bacteriophage DNA. Beside the enzyme's gene sits a long array of repeating DNA resembling CRISPR. Only a handful of known systems share its features — all of which can cut, copy, and paste DNA, the class of programmable systems that historically revolutionized medicine. Its function remains unknown.

Related event: Anthropic's Wet Lab Debut: ~950 Claude Agents Discover CRISPR-like Enzyme System(26 posts)→

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