Reacción a "AI-designed proteins could expand the CRISPR genome-editing toolkit beyond those produced by evolution"

This work by J.A. Doudna and colleagues is a further example of how generative AI is changing the way laboratories operate. Specifically, in the de novo design of proteins. In this case, the authors have succeeded in improving CRISPR scissors for genetic modification, making them increasingly efficient and safe. This study represents a significant acceleration in the development of new enzymes, such as the Cas12 nuclease, for genome editing. It is also a good example of how AI can reduce to a matter of months what used to take many years of experimental work. The AI determines which variants should be tested based on changes in structure and function in predictive models; the authors incorporate evolutionary data into these models that highlight the divergence of the variants programmed by the AI. The end result is an improvement in various properties of the nuclease (binding to DNA and RNA, and cleavage). This work is further evidence of how non-natural evolution can compete very seriously with undirected natural evolution. AI is accelerating the development of new products of biotechnological value; as in this example, new nucleases designed almost entirely artificially.