Claude found a CRISPR-like DNA system, but function remains unknown
Anthropic says Claude identified a previously unrecognized enzyme system that could point to a new programmable DNA tool, though its function has not been established. The model spotted a reverse transcriptase in a jumbo phage alongside repeated non-coding DNA and an accessory protein, a combination found in only a handful of other systems used to cut, copy, or paste DNA. Scientists then reviewed the result and are testing it experimentally.