A new paper from the lab of Professor of MCB & Chemistry and HHMI Investigator Jennifer Doudna identifies and details the power of the smallest CRISPR system found to date, Cas14. CRISPR-Cas14 was first discovered in archaea with some of the smallest known genomes and is especially effective in editing viral genes or genes in small cells.
Due to its effectiveness in targeting and cutting single-stranded DNA, researchers have identified Cas14's potential use in improving rapid CRISPR diagnostic tests for ailments such as cancer and infectious diseases.