Doudna Lab
@doudna-lab.bsky.social
News from Jennifer Doudna's lab at UC Berkeley, Innovative Genomics Institute. Tweets from lab members and not Jennifer Doudna unless signed JD. Tweets represent personal views only. doudnalab.org
RNA structure prediction lags behind proteins for lack of data. RNASSTR, our new dataset, offers millions of RNA sequence-secondary structure pairs, split structurally to avoid train/test leakage. 📄 doi.org/10.1261/rna.... 📰 innovativegenomics.org/news/ai-mode...
doi.org
I'm very excited to share that this January, I’ll be joining Columbia University’s Department of Biological Sciences as a tenure-track Assistant Professor 🏙️🦁🍎 @columbiauniversity.bsky.social 🧬 Learn more: dohertylab.org Thank you to all those who supported me along the way!
Doherty lab at Columbia University | immune signaling | Sherman Fairchild Center, 1212 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10027, USA
We treat viral antagonism as a discovery tool for host biology to reveal fundamental mechanisms of immune signaling and new opportunities for therapeutic intervention.
dohertylab.org
Research Highlight: An RNA-guided ‘chromatin shredder’ for selective cell killing www.nature.com/articles/s41...
An RNA-guided ‘chromatin shredder’ for selective cell killing - Nature Biotechnology
Nature Biotechnology - An RNA-guided ‘chromatin shredder’ for selective cell killing
nature.com
Doudna Lab@doudna-lab.bsky.social · 3mo agoWe now present our latest work, now out in @nature.com! A creative new CRISPR-based approach can selectively destroy cells carrying undruggable mutations in cancer. Work led by @jingkunzeng.bsky.social In collaboration with Alan Ashworth, Yang Liu and Ryan Jackson. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Finally managed to get my hands on a physical copy of this! Great to see in our paper literally in print
Doudna Lab@doudna-lab.bsky.social · 2mo agoOur AI-guided design of RNA-guided nucleases is now out in @science.org 💻🧬 We used structure and evolutionary data to generate minimal, active and divergent gene editors! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... Congrats to @petrskopintsev.bsky.social @isabelesain.bsky.social @evandeturk.bsky.social & team!
The latest work from the lab now out in @cp-molcell.bsky.social! New mechanistic insights into TnpB DNA unwinding and hypercompact plant genome editors🌱 Congratulations to leads @zehanzhou.bsky.social, Iren Saffarian, @honglue.bsky.social, Trevor Weiss & team, and Jacobsen, Savage and Bryant labs
Zehan Zhou@zehanzhou.bsky.social · last mo.We are PUBLISHED!!! Our mechanistic work on how CRISPR-Cas ancestors unwind DNA and how this can be used to engineer hypercompact plant editors can now be found on Mol Cell- if you are interested in what defines a good genome editor, this read is for you 😎 🔗 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Scientists have harnessed AI models to create synthetic CRISPR proteins that edit the genome more efficiently than those seen in nature go.nature.com/4f8AN3n
CRISPR gets a power boost from AI-designed ‘molecular scissors’
Researchers used artificial intelligence to design functional CRISPR enzymes not seen in nature.
go.nature.com
In a new Science study, researchers report the design of synthetic RNA-guided nucleases that match or exceed the activity of natural enzymes, revealing how structure-guided design can generate functional genome-editing proteins with substantially different sequences. https://scim.ag/45fbSFf
Structure and evolution-guided design of minimal RNA-guided nucleases
The design of RNA-guided nucleases with properties not limited by evolution can expand programmable genome-editing capabilities. However, generating diverse multidomain proteins with robust enzymatic ...
scim.ag
First preprint from the lab of postdoc alumni @jnoms.bsky.social. Check it out!
Jason Nomburg@jnoms.bsky.social · 2mo agoHappy to share the first preprint out of the Nomburg lab! Many aspects of cellular immunity are shared across the tree of life. Here, we show that some of these conserved aspects of cellular immunity are mirrored by conserved effectors of immune antagonism. Thread below! 1/15
Happy to share the first preprint out of the Nomburg lab! Many aspects of cellular immunity are shared across the tree of life. Here, we show that some of these conserved aspects of cellular immunity are mirrored by conserved effectors of immune antagonism. Thread below! 1/15
bioRxiv Microbiology@biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social · 2mo agoConserved folds enable immune antagonism across the tree of life https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.21.739742v1
So excited to see our paper out in Science! Beyond grateful to my co-leads @petrskopintsev.bsky.social @evandeturk.bsky.social, all co-authors & collaborators, everyone in Doudna lab, and @innovativegenomics.bsky.social Being EsAIn in the DouDNA lab, it couldn't have been any other way ✨
Doudna Lab@doudna-lab.bsky.social · 2mo agoOur AI-guided design of RNA-guided nucleases is now out in @science.org 💻🧬 We used structure and evolutionary data to generate minimal, active and divergent gene editors! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... Congrats to @petrskopintsev.bsky.social @isabelesain.bsky.social @evandeturk.bsky.social & team!
Proud to present our work, published today in @science.org! My deepest gratitude to @isabelesain.bsky.social, @evandeturk.bsky.social, Jennifer and our collaborators in the Doudna, Cate, Banfield, and Jacobsen labs, and the @innovativegenomics.bsky.social! I hope you enjoy reading it! ✨
Doudna Lab@doudna-lab.bsky.social · 2mo agoOur AI-guided design of RNA-guided nucleases is now out in @science.org 💻🧬 We used structure and evolutionary data to generate minimal, active and divergent gene editors! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... Congrats to @petrskopintsev.bsky.social @isabelesain.bsky.social @evandeturk.bsky.social & team!
Out today in @science.org, Doudna lab researchers describe an #AI-assisted method for designing enhanced genome editors, testing close to 2000 in lab. Read more: innovativegenomics.org/news/ai-desi...
AI-Assisted Technique Allows Scientists to Design New, Functional Genome Editors Beyond What Can Be Found in Nature
AI-Assisted Technique Allows Scientists to Design New, Functional Genome Editors Beyond What Can Be Found in Nature - Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI)
innovativegenomics.org
Doudna Lab@doudna-lab.bsky.social · 2mo agoOur AI-guided design of RNA-guided nucleases is now out in @science.org 💻🧬 We used structure and evolutionary data to generate minimal, active and divergent gene editors! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... Congrats to @petrskopintsev.bsky.social @isabelesain.bsky.social @evandeturk.bsky.social & team!
Our AI-guided design of RNA-guided nucleases is now out in @science.org 💻🧬 We used structure and evolutionary data to generate minimal, active and divergent gene editors! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... Congrats to @petrskopintsev.bsky.social @isabelesain.bsky.social @evandeturk.bsky.social & team!
Structure and evolution-guided design of minimal RNA-guided nucleases
The design of RNA-guided nucleases with properties not limited by evolution can expand programmable genome-editing capabilities. However, generating diverse multidomain proteins with robust enzymatic ...
science.org
Targeting Cancer-Specific Mutations with RNA-Triggered Chromatin Shredding @nature.com @doudna-lab.bsky.social @gladstoneinst.bsky.social @jingkunzeng.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A team led by Jennifer Doudna developed an innovative chromatin-shredding technique shown to destroy cancer cells carrying a prevalent mutation while keeping healthy cells intact. @doudna-lab.bsky.social @innovativegenomics.bsky.social @ucsanfrancisco.bsky.social @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social
New CRISPR Technique Selectively Shreds Cancer Cells, Including Those of ‘Undruggable’ Cancers
An innovative chromatin-shredding technique shown to destroy cancer cells carrying a prevalent mutation while keeping healthy cells intact.
gladstone.org
Huge congratulations to Doudna Lab postdoc, Santiago!
Innovative Genomics Institute@innovativegenomics.bsky.social · 3mo agoCongratulations to Santiago López in the @doudna-lab.bsky.social at the IGI for being selected for the 2026 class of the Pew Latin American Fellows Program in the Biomedical Sciences! Learn about Santiago's work and the other scholars here: www.pew.org/en/about/new...
We now present our latest work, now out in @nature.com! A creative new CRISPR-based approach can selectively destroy cells carrying undruggable mutations in cancer. Work led by @jingkunzeng.bsky.social In collaboration with Alan Ashworth, Yang Liu and Ryan Jackson. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Targeting Cancer-Specific Mutations with RNA-Triggered Chromatin Shredding - Nature
Nature - Targeting Cancer-Specific Mutations with RNA-Triggered Chromatin Shredding
nature.com
New pre-print 📣 “Undruggable” cancer mutations remain very hard to target with current modalities. What if we could instead sense mutant transcripts and convert that recognition into selective cell killing? Check out this work led by postdoc Jingkun Zeng: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
Our lab is proud to present our latest work harnessing Bridge Recombinase for genome-scale editing in diverse bacteria, microbiome editing, and programmable horizontal gene transfer.
bioRxiv Synthetic Biology@biorxiv-synthbio.bsky.social · 4mo agoBridge recombinase enables versatile rewriting of bacterial genomes https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.04.29.721476v1
We present VIPR, a phage-encoded RNA-guided system that recognizes DNA with a noncontiguous code unlike CRISPR. Tiny, programmable, possibly ancestral to CRISPR immunity; VIPR is built around a striking RNA-DNA-DNA triplex.
Kenneth Loi@kenjmloi.bsky.social · 5mo agoExcited to share our discovery of a new programmable RNA-guided DNA-targeting system hiding inside bacteriophages that predates CRISPR. We call it VIPR (Viral Interference Programmable Repeat), and it uses an entirely new logic to find its targets. Thread + link below.
In our new work published in @natbiomedeng.nature.com in collaboration with @theottlab.bsky.social and @doudna-lab.bsky.social, we introduce "interfering" guide RNAs (igRNA) for CRISPR-Cas13a that regulate enzyme activity after activation. Congrats to all the authors! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Programmable kinetic barcoding for multiplexed RNA detection with Cas13a - Nature Biomedical Engineering
A multiplexed RNA detection method exploits crRNA-dependent variability in Cas13a activity on RNA targets for kinetic barcoding and can be used to distinguish among SARS-CoV-2 variants in clinical sam...
nature.com
A big challenge for CRISPR gene editing 🧬 is altering a high enough proportion of target cells in the body 🧪 So @doudna-lab.bsky.social have developed editors that can amplify themselves by spreading from cell to cell Comment from @gaetanburgio.bsky.social www.newscientist.com/article/2514...
Gene editing that spreads within the body could cure more diseases
The idea of self-amplifying gene editing is to get cells to pass on packages of CRISPR machinery to their neighbours, boosting the effect
newscientist.com
Congratulations to Jennifer Doudna, 2018 #KavliPrize Nanoscience Laureate and CRISPR pioneer, for her recent election to the National Academy of Engineering! She's now one of a few people elected to all three academies @nationalacademies.org. Learn more: bit.ly/4s4k98m @doudna-lab.bsky.social
Five UC Berkeley faculty elected to National Academy of Engineering - Berkeley News
A chemical engineer, an electrical engineer, a biochemist, a roboticist and a laser dynamicist are among the new members.
bit.ly
Today’s the day to make a BIG impact for the MCB community! 🌟 MCB faculty share—in their own words—why our initiatives matter. @doudna-lab.bsky.social @hariharanlab.bsky.social ✅ Read about our goals bit.ly/BigGiveMCB26goals ✅ Click 🔗 bit.ly/BigGiveMCB26 to donate
🚀 New preprint! @jacobsenucla.bsky.social x @doudna-lab.bsky.social collaboration: High-activity TnpB (Ymu1-WFR) + a multi-gRNA system in TRV enables heritable, tissue-culture-free multiplex editing in plants. Big potential for plant biotech 🧬🌾🌱 doi.org/10.64898/202...
doi.org
How do the ancestors of CRISPR-Cas unwind DNA and how can this lead to better genome editing? With our collaboration between @doudna-lab.bsky.social x @jacobsenucla.bsky.social x Zev Bryant's lab x @savagecatsonly.bsky.social we've uncovered the secrets behind TnpB's dynamics!
biorxiv.org
Check out the latest episode of Rewriting the Code, featuring Jennifer Doudna and #SickleCell patient pioneer Victoria Gray who was cured with a #CRISPR-based treatment in a groundbreaking clinical trial: https://ow.ly/t6FY50XVNO7
Targeted delivery of genome editors in vivo - @doudna-lab.bsky.social @innovativegenomics.bsky.social go.nature.com/4qKp6Tb
New preprint 👉Doudna x Bryant x Jacobsen x Savage collaboration! Work led by @zehanzhou.bsky.social, I. Saffarian-Deemyad, @honglue.bsky.social, T. Weiss We dissect how stepwise DNA unwinding gates TnpB genome editing, revealing how unwound DNA states enhance cleavage www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Stepwise DNA unwinding gates TnpB genome-editing activity
TnpB is a compact RNA-guided endonuclease and evolutionary ancestor of CRISPR-Cas12 that offers a promising platform for genome engineering. However, the genome-editing activity of TnpBs remains limit...
biorxiv.org
New in Science Magazine Science Advances from the Doudna Lab, Rubin Lab and Cress Lab —Identification of proteins influencing #CRISPR-associated #transposases for enhanced #GenomeEditing. Read here: https://ow.ly/U0s450XS82n
