Over the past decade, the gene-editing technology known as CRISPR has become a familiar scientific tool, used to create lifesaving cures, make more productive crops, and even engineer allergy-free dogs.

But scientists didn’t invent CRISPR from scratch. They discovered it in bacteria and other microbes, which use it as a defense against invading viruses. On Thursday, scientists reported that they had found another gene-editing defense in nature, this one in viruses themselves.

Continue reading “The Next Gene-Editing Technology May Also Be the Oldest” →

In order to learn more about brain disorders, scientists reported on Wednesday that they had created extraordinary mice whose brains are filled with millions of human neurons. The work marks a startling advance in replicating the complexities of the human brain outside the body.

The research, described in the journal Nature, also poses some profound questions. “Will there be some enhancement of function?” asked Dr. Sergiu Pașca, the Stanford University neuroscientist who led the work. “Will they do better than other mice?”

Continue reading “These Mice Have Partly Human Brains” →

Among the growing fears about artificial intelligence, one threat has proved particularly alarming: the possibility that A.I. could be used to create a new wave of biological weapons.

In April, biosecurity experts warned that it was disturbingly easy to get advice from chatbots about making pathogens more dangerous. In June, scientists and A.I. executives signed an open letter calling for new controls on the fabrication of DNA because A.I. can now speed up the design of toxins and viruses.

Continue reading “A.I. Queries From Abroad Raise Fears of a Biological Weapons Race” →

Scientists have uncovered a wealth of clues about how genetic mutations lead to severe forms of autism, offering opportunities for testing drugs that could treat the condition, according to a study published Thursday.

The researchers charted how mutations change the way proteins work together in cells, altering the development of the brain.

Continue reading “Study of Brain Proteins Spurs Optimism for Autism Treatments” →

On a recent afternoon, scientists buzzed around a lab in Cambridge, Mass., performing experiments. Their equipment was standard: a lab hood for working with dangerous chemicals, an incubator for growing cells. Their procedures were identical to those in biology labs everywhere.

A closer look revealed some oddities, though. Along with lab coats and gloves, most of the scientists wore miniature cameras on headbands. Three additional cameras peered down at each work station from a shelf.

Continue reading “Some Scientists Have ‘Magic Hands’ in the Lab. This A.I. Is Learning Why.” →