AI model Claude discovers CRISPR-like enzyme system, Anthropic says

Anthropic, an artificial intelligence startup based in the United States, announced on Wednesday the discovery of a new enzyme system by its Claude model. The company claims this discovery showcases the potential of AI to accelerate fundamental research. Enzyme systems in nature have contributed to significant breakthroughs in biology, from the origins of the biotech industry to DNA-copying techniques utilized in many medical tests.

According to Anthropic, approximately 950 Claude-powered software agents spent 21 hours examining a database of DNA sequences. They identified more than 200,000 genes for one type of enzyme and subsequently selected 20 of these that merited further investigation, a task that would typically take a human scientist weeks or even months to accomplish.

In this process, human researchers were primarily involved in providing initial instructions and conducting lab experiments, while the AI agents autonomously decided which leads to pursue.

Among the intriguing findings, one agent detected a sequence of short, repeating DNA pieces adjacent to two genes—one for a known enzyme and another for a mystery protein. This discovery bears resemblance to CRISPR, a natural bacterial defense mechanism that scientists have harnessed as a gene-editing tool with various medical applications.

Dario Amodei, Anthropic's chief, termed the discovery "preliminary" but suggested it could represent a novel gene-editing mechanism with potential implications for gene therapy. He predicted that substantial progress in treating diseases that have long afflicted humanity could follow.

However, the exact function of the newly identified system, labeled ART, remains unknown. Anthropic noted that their initial experiments imply that the system could be programmable, similar to CRISPR. The research findings have been published as a preprint, but they have not yet undergone peer review by other scientists.

Feng Zhang, a pioneer of CRISPR and a professor at MIT and the Broad Institute, expressed genuine interest in the identification of the repeated DNA fragments, stating that they merit further investigation. In remarks released by Anthropic, Amodei also mentioned that a team at Stanford University had independently identified a comparable but distinct system.

Anthropic's lab team, which formed in the spring, is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area. The company emphasizes that all experiments are conducted by human scientists, and no pathogens capable of infecting humans are involved. While Amodei has not ruled out the possibility of Claude eventually operating lab equipment under strict safety measures, he did not express certainty about this development.