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Claude Discovers CRISPR-Like Enzyme System
On Wednesday, September 23, 2026, Anthropic announced that its Claude AI model autonomously identified a novel enzyme system in bacteriophage DNA called array-associated reverse transcriptases after 21 hours of searching through biological data.
The ART system features a long array of repeating DNA sequences reminiscent of CRISPR, though Anthropic emphasizes the finding is preliminary and its precise function remains unproven.
Researchers at Anthropic's San Francisco Bay Area laboratory subsequently performed follow-up experiments confirming the DNA array produces distinct short RNAs, validating the AI's identification in a physical setting.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei cited the discovery in remarks to the UN Security Council, suggesting it 'may constitute a new gene editing mechanism' with potential gene therapy applications.
Independent microbiologists, however, caution that ART lacks proven therapeutic utility, noting the system's significance requires further peer-reviewed research and reproducibility testing before any claims can be validated.
The Claude language model has independently discovered a structure that resembles that of CRISPR, although "it still takes much more work to learn what this system does and if it can have a similar use" Read