This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Scientists at the Department of Energy (DOE)'s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have shown that more than 93% of possible E. coli CRISPR-Cas9 guide RNAs—molecules that direct the gene-editing CRISPR tool to the right spot in DNA—work as intended, a far higher percentage than researchers expected. They also discovered why a small number of guides fail and developed a simple way to repair them.
The work is published in the journal Nucleic Acids Research. CRISPR is a powerful biotechnology tool that allows scientists to make precise changes to DNA, essentially editing the genetic instructions that tell cells how to function. By making CRISPR function more efficiently in industrially relevant microbes, the resulting tool makes it easier and faster to engineer microorganisms for manufacturing valuable chemicals, materials and medicines, strengthening U.S. scientific innovation and global competitiveness in biotechnology.
"We evaluated nearly 500,000 guide RNAs for E. coli, creating one of the largest experimentally tested CRISPR datasets and giving synthetic biologists a high-confidence toolkit that aids experimental design," said Bill Alexander, associate R&D staff scientist in the Biosciences Division at ORNL. The tool is available through a free gRNA Atlas, an interactive application that lets users visualize and explore potential Cas9 target sites across the bacterium's genome. Elise K Kammerdiener et al, Empirical evaluation of all unique Cas9 protospacers in E. coli reveal widespread functionality and rules for gRNA design, Nucleic Acids Research (2026).
DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkag548 Journal information: Nucleic Acids Research Provided by Oak Ridge National Laboratory BA art history, MA material culture. Former museum editor, paramedic, and transplant coordinator. Editing for Science X since 2021.
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